WPL 2026: Finishing second is a huge improvement, but we’re aiming for bigger things, says Michael Klinger

Michael Klinger (Source: WPL)

Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger believes the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season reflected clear progress for the team, even though it ended with a sense of unfinished business. Gujarat Giants Women finished second in the points table, marking a significant step forward and highlighting their consistency throughout the league phase, particularly in handling pressure during close matches.

The team registered a clean sweep over UP Warriorz, ended a long winless streak against Mumbai Indians, and secured two thrilling last-over victories against Delhi Capitals. However, defeats in both encounters against Royal Challengers Bengaluru prevented them from achieving an even stronger finish in the league stage.

“Yeah, certainly, finishing outright second this year is a huge improvement. Probably the two finals [Eliminators] we played, both last year and this year, we just didn’t play at our best. We spoke about it today in our team meeting – that when we play close to our best, we’re a chance to beat any team in this competition – and we just weren’t quite there today, in our batting and our bowling,” said Klinger as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“We’ve learned a lot about our squad this year. Whether we won the final or not, or the championship or not, we’re pretty clear on the areas we need to improve next year. We’ve got plenty of time – about 10 months now – to watch more cricket from both local and overseas players, tinker a little bit, and hopefully come back bigger and stronger next year,” he added.

This season is a foundation, not a ceiling: Klinger

Klinger also spoke with optimism about the Indian talent within the squad, describing the season as a foundation rather than a ceiling. He emphasised that the next phase of the team’s growth would centre on building self-belief and nurturing greater ambition, especially among the younger players.

“To qualify two years in a row, there are always teams who would much prefer to be where we are than already gone home. So we’re satisfied with that, but at the same time we’re aiming for bigger things. It didn’t happen this year, but we’ll keep giving ourselves a chance by qualifying, and hopefully next year we’ll play stronger cricket in the bigger games. I think it’s about players taking the next step. Anushka [Sharma] had a good season for her first year. She got a lot of good starts, which for a young player is fantastic. The next step for her is realising how good she is, and that she can be a 300-plus run WPL player going forward,” said Klinger.

“She’s a fantastic player and person, and she’s probably a big chance to play for India before next year’s WPL. I hope she does, because that international experience will help her for us next year as well. I thought Bharti [Fulmali] started the season really well and played some fantastic innings. Potentially the lower bounce here (in Vadodara) didn’t quite suit her, so she couldn’t get going. It’s more about belief – that they don’t just have to contribute, but can dominate, like some of the other Indian batters in the competition. If they come in with that attitude next year, they’ll be fine. Obviously we’ll have Yastika [Bhatia] next year, touch wood, if she’s fit and healthy, which will add another quality Indian player,” he added.

Everyone should work on in few areas: Klinger

From a bowling perspective, Klinger highlighted the importance of effort, balance, and identifying areas for improvement. He cited the narrow victories over Delhi Capitals as clear evidence of the fighting spirit the group values deeply. While praising the fast bowlers for making an impact when conditions suited them, he emphasised the need for clearer plans once the swing disappeared.

“The two wins against Delhi showed our fighting spirit – even when we were up against it in the last six balls. We talk about that a lot. In our team room, we have a big sign that says ‘fight’. We’ll certainly speak to all the players – maybe not tonight with emotions running high, but over time. Everyone’s going back to domestic cricket, and there are areas everyone can work on, whether it’s our quicks or our spinners,” said Klinger.

“I think our fast bowlers were really good when the ball was swinging. The next step for them as T20 bowlers is what their go-to option is when the ball stops swinging. That’s something they can work on. Happy Kumari is a fantastic young bowler. I heard she didn’t get picked for an upcoming domestic team, which I find amazing, because there aren’t many with her pace, line and length. I hope she keeps getting opportunities, because she’s got something special and she’ll be back with us next year, and we can really unleash her,” he added.

Klinger acknowledged that specialist spinners Tanuja Kanwer and Rajeshwari Gayakwad did not have a significant role this season. Instead, the team relied more heavily on its all-rounders, a combination that provided better balance and proved effective for the franchise in most situations.

“Our spinners didn’t get as many overs this year – TK [Tanuja Kanwer] and Raj [Rajeshwari Gayakwad] – but that was more about our team make-up. We had a lot of all-rounders: Ash [Gardner], Georgia [Wareham], Sophie Devine. We didn’t have Georgia last year. With three overseas all-rounders bowling, it wasn’t a reflection on the spinners, just how we balanced our overs,” Klinger concluded.

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