Uncapped batter Simran Shaikh expressed her desire to meet India stalwart Virat Kohli and outlined her goal to represent the Indian national team. Simran made the headlines after Gujarat Giants broke the bank in the recent Women’s Premier League 2025 auction. The franchise roped in Simran for Rs 1.9 crore. She also became the most expensive buy of the afternoon on Sunday. The young batter revealed that Virat is her favourite player and her goal is to represent India, for which she is making all the efforts.
“My dream is to meet Virat Kohli once. I just want a jersey of India and that is why I am making all these efforts,” Simran told ANI.
Delhi Capitals and the Gujarat-based franchise came into the bidding war for the uncapped batter. Her base price was Rs 5 lakh and made her way to the Giants with a whopping amount of Rs 1.9 crore.
In the inaugural season of the tournament, Simran played for the Gujarat-based franchise and featured in nine games.
Simran feels it is her responsibility to contribute to the franchise and added, “I thank the GG (Gujarat Giants) family. After getting such a huge amount, it’s now my responsibility to perform for them. I thank my parents because there is not much support for such things in my community, but they always supported me.”
Reflecting on the auction, head coach Michael Klinger said the team’s priority was to acquire players who could make an impact in the playing eleven and Simran is a valuable addition to the team.
“Simran Shaikh is another valuable addition to the team. She brings a lot of power and has an impressive strike rate. There are only a handful of players in women’s cricket who can do that. I think she will create healthy competition among the Indian batters for a spot in the team, which is exactly what you want in a squad,” Klinger noted.
Gujarat Giants full squad for WPL 2025: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Tanuja Kanwer, Phoebe Litchfield, Meghna Singh, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Mannat Kashyap, Bharti Fulmali, Sayali Satghare, Deandra Dottin, Simran Shaikh, Danielle Gibson, and Prakashika Naik.
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