Mithali Raj, the former India captain, has parted ways with the Women's Premier League (WPL) franchise Gujarat Giants (GG) ahead of the tournament's third edition, which is slated to be held in February 2025.
Mithali, who served as GG's mentor during the first two editions, has taken up a similar role at the Andhra Cricket Association, where she'll be in charge of looking after the state's pathway structures, apart from working with the senior team.
Also out of GG's set-up is Nooshin Al Khadeer, the former India offspinner, who had served as assistant coach for the first two seasons. Al Khadeer is presently in charge of the India Under-19 women's team that is currently preparing for the second edition of the Under-19 World Cup to be held in Malaysia early next year, with India looking to defend their title.
While the announcement from GG comes just days before the WPL mini-auction that will be held in Bengaluru on December 15, ESPNcricinfo understands that a decision had already been made prior to the start of the 2024-25 domestic season.
Michael Klinger, the former South Australia batter, will continue to remain in charge as head coach, with Daniel Marsh and Pravin Tambe coming on board as batting and bowling coaches, respectively. Marsh, who played 150 first-class matches during his career, served as Tasmania's head coach from 2013-17, and was appointed assistant coach of the Australia women's team in 2022.
Meanwhile, Tambe, whose foray into the IPL with Rajasthan Royals from obscurity at the age of 41 has been well documented, is also currently involved as a spin-bowling coach at Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
"We laid solid groundwork last season, and I'm excited to build on that with the talented players we have retained in the squad," Klinger said in a statement. "Our focus remains on fostering a winning mindset, and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve as a team.
"It is incredibly rewarding to see so many of our Gujarat Giants players representing India since last WPL season. This invaluable high-level experience will undoubtedly strengthen our squad for the upcoming season."
Klinger, who had taken over early last year from fellow Australian Rachel Haynes after the inaugural season, was late last month also announced as the new head coach of Manchester Originals in the Women's Hundred. He also serves as assistant coach of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL, and as a general manager of Washington Freedom in the USA's Major League Cricket.
GG, who are owned by Adani Sportsline, had finished last in the first two editions of the WPL, and now have the biggest purse of INR 4.4 crore going into Saturday's auction, where they are likely to be quite busy. GG have released as many as six players, including Sneh Rana, who had captained them in the inaugural edition. Rana apart, GG have also done away with Lea Tahuhu and Veda Krishnamurthy, among others.