Ahead Of The 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup In India, Australia All-rounder Looks Back To Experience Of Captaining Gujarat Giants In WPL

Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner is in one of the best phases of her career. The southpaw began the year with a sensational run in the Women’s Ashes at home where she claimed four wickets as well as scoring a hundred from the four ODIs. She also claimed five wickets from two innings in the lone Test match in Melbourne. When not collecting wickets and scoring runs at ease, Gardner was completing screamers on the boundary line to dismiss opponents. Her contributions proved to be crucial for Australia blanking England 16-0 by winning all the seven matches in the multi-format series.

She was then appointed captain of Gujarat Giants side in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 and led them to their first-ever playoffs appearance. In the process, Gardner finished with 243 runs from nine matches at a strike rate of 164 which included three fifties.

She also claimed eight wickets from nine matches at an economy of 8.

Gujarat Giants captain Ashleigh Gardner looks back to WPL 2025 before 2025 ODI World Cup

Gardner is currently leading Trent Rockets Women in The Hundred 2025 and has scored 130 runs from five matches at a strike rate of 144 and claimed three wickets at an economy of 7.

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As Australia head into the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup as the defending champions, Gardner looks back to her captaincy stints with Gujarat Giants and Rockets for finding inspiration and form.

“Being able to lead, working through how I react in different situations and figuring myself out a little bit, I feel like once I do that, it gives me a really good opportunity to keep improving in that space. Hopefully bringing success individually on the field and then being able to have the biggest impact for my team,” Gardner told ESPNCricinfo in an interview.

Gardner talks about challenge of being an Australian player

Gardner also spoke about being part of the top side in the world and the demands that come with it.

“We’re going to be spending double the time on our feet, so I know for us Aussie players, we play a game of cricket, but then the next day or that day we need to then run again, we need to gym,” Gardner said.

Australia will play three ODIs from September 14 to 20 against India in New Chandigarh and Delhi ahead of the ODI World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.