Mithali Raj set to be appointed as mentor of Gujarat Giants for maiden WPL season - Reports 

Former Team India skipper Mithali Raj is reportedly set to be part of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) in a coaching capacity with the Adani Group-owned Gujarat Giants. The organization made the highest bid out of all parties to own the Ahmedbad-based franchise, which was made official on Wednesday, January 25.

The former cricketer was keen to play in the WPL despite having ended her international career in June 2022.

However, with a lack of interest among the franchises in securing the services of the 40-year-old, she is set to bring her expertise and experience to the league as a mentor.

According to a report by Sports 18 Cricket Next, Mithali expressed interest in representing the Mumbai-based franchise as a player but decided to settle for a role as a mentor with the Gujarat Giants. A source close to the developments said:

“Mithali Raj was keen to play but she is now all set to mentor the Gujarat team for the inaugural Women’s Premier League."

The source continued:

“Yes there was interest from her side to play, particularly for the team based out of Mumbai but things didn’t quite materialise the way she would have wanted and a lucrative role with the Gujarat team came her way. It’s always good to have a presence of someone like Mithali in the camp. The vast experience across formats will only benefit the team she is going to be a part of."

Mithali had a prolific international career that spanned over two decades. In terms of franchise cricket, she represented Velocity and the Supernovas over the course of the Women's T20 Challenge, which was held simultaneously alongside the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

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Mithali Raj's last T20I appearance came in 2019

The leading run-scorer in women's cricket, Mithali Raj, played 89 T20Is, scoring 2,364 runs at an average of 37.52. Her final T20I appearance came against England at home in 2019.

She has had a fair share of issues in the shortest format, with the most spurring one being her absence from the 2018 T20 World Cup semi-final.

She expressed her disappointment at then-head coach Ramesh Powar over discrimination and even called out skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for not backing her claims.

A coaching stint with Gujarat Giants could mark a new start for the legendary batter.

The Adani Group submitted a bid of ₹1,289 crores to extend their sporting ventures. They already own the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) franchise Gujarat Giants, as well as the International League T20 (ILT20) outfit Gulf Giants.

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