In a major signing, Gujarat Giants, have appointed Rachael Haynes, a former Australian women's cricketer, as their head coach. Meanwhile, Tushar Arothe will be the team's batting coach and Nooshin Al Khadeer, a former India spinner, will be the bowling coach. Nooshin was also head coach of India's Under 19 team that won the World Cup last week, and Arothe, a former head coach of the Indian women's team. These coaches join the staff that is headed by Mithali Raj, a women's cricket legend, who is the team's mentor.
"The likes of Rachael Haynes, Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, and Gavan Twining will certainly take the performance of the team notches up. Not only have they carved a niche for themselves in their roles, but their stories of resilience will be an inspiration for the team. Their combined strengths will enable Gujarat Giants to give their best performance on the ground at the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League, which will inspire several aspiring women athletes," said Raj.Haynes has won six world championships with the Australian team and was the vice-captain of the side from 2017-2022. The left-handed batter, who was an integral part of the very successful national set-up, is a veteran of 84 T20Is and played crucial roles in the Australian team's championship winning campaigns at the 2018 and 2020 T20 WCs. Haynes has also turned out for the Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League, often leading the run scoring charts on her side.
"The Women's Premier League is such an exciting addition to the cricket landscape. The opportunity to be involved in the inaugural season with the Adani Sportline owned Gujarat Giants and working with the brilliant Mithali Raj is something I'm really looking forward to. We have formed a wonderful coaching team, with Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe and Gavan Twining, who will be bringing on board their rich experience which will help the team to play an exciting brand of cricket which our fans will enjoy watching," said Haynes. Satyam Trivedi, Head, Adani Sportsline, said, "The Women's Premier League will be a game-changer and we are thrilled to have a phenomenal team of coaches for Gujarat Giants. Trailblazers such as Mithali Raj, Rachael Haynes, and Nooshin's remarkable journey as athletes will surely set the bar high for every team member. We wish the team nothing but tremendous success."
