Gujarat Giants' 16-year-old all-rounder Samaira Raghav wants to learn from Ashleigh Gardner, Hamanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana after WPL opportunity

Sixteen-year-old all-rounder Samaira Raghav was picked up by Gujarat Giants at the Women's Premier League 2027 auction, held in Kochi on October 28, 2026, for a fee of Rs 10 lakh. The teenager from Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, who represents Delhi in domestic cricket, became one of three new signings that completed Gujarat Giants' 18-player WPL 2027 squad alongside G Kamalini and Orla Prendergast.

Before the WPL auction, Samaira featured for North Delhi Strikers in the Delhi Premier League, where she scored 100 runs at a strike rate of 131.58. She also represented Delhi in the U19 T20 Trophy, accumulating 162 runs across 7 innings at a strike rate of 216. India's maiden 50-over Women's World Cup triumph has also inspired her cricketing journey and motivated her to achieve that glory for India whenever she gets the opportunity. Samaira's father had been a key motivating force behind her decision to pursue cricket and join an academy. Her performances in Delhi domestic cricket caught the attention of selectors and franchises alike ahead of the auction. Samaira described the moment she heard her name called out.

"The first reaction was that I could not even grasp what had just happened, because it is obviously life-changing for me to be picked by the Gujarat Giants. And, you know, I was actually screaming. In that first moment, I just could not understand what had happened. I called my coaches and my family, and all of them were really happy as well." she said, speaking to the press.

Who are Samaira's biggest inspirations in Indian cricket?

Samaira has grown up watching several Indian women cricketers and counts a number of them among her closest role models. She has specifically cited Pratika Rawal and Shweta Sehrawat as among her greatest motivations, who she played with during the Delhi camps. while also expressing admiration for what senior players like Richa Ghosh, Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur bring to the game. Tanisha Singh is another name she has mentioned in the context of players she looks up to.

"First, Richa Ghosh. I would love to know what goes through her mind when she’s hitting those massive sixes. Then Smriti Mandhana; Smriti didi is just amazing how calm and composed she is on the field and how she leads her team is remarkable. Harman didi has such a wealth of knowledge; I feel like I could absorb so much from all of them," Ghosh added.

Pratika Rawal in particular stands out as one of Samaira's "greatest motivations", with the young all-rounder seeing in Pratika's rise a pathway that younger Delhi-based cricketers can aspire to follow.

What does Samaira hope to learn from Ashleigh Gardner and the DPL?

Beyond her Indian idols, Samaira has set her sights on learning from Aussie all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, her new Gujarat Giants teammate. She is keen to pick Gardner's brains specifically about her six-hitting abilities, her daily routines and her overall mindset as an international all-rounder.

"Ashleigh Gardner, I think. I really look up to her. She has exceptional six-hitting ability and also performs really well with the ball. I would love to get to know about her routines and what goes through her mind," she said.

The Delhi Premier League has played a meaningful role in Samaira's development. Younger players who do not get regular opportunities are given a platform to share the field with senior cricketers in the DPL, and Samaira has spoken about how valuable that exposure has been for her growth as a cricketer. Her DPL stint with North Delhi Strikers, where she posted 100 runs at a strike rate of 131.58 and contributed to a winning run, gave her the confidence to perform at a higher level.

Her U19 T20 Trophy numbers, 162 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 216, underline the kind of aggressive batting that made her an attractive prospect at the WPL 2027 auction. With Gujarat Giants now her franchise, Samaira will have the opportunity to train alongside and learn from Gardner, whose mindset and power-hitting she has long admired.