Who Is Orla Prendergast? Ireland cricketer makes history at WPL 2027 auction after Gujarat Giants contract

Irish cricket achieved a landmark milestone when all-rounder Orla Prendergast became the first player from Ireland to secure a contract in the Women’s Premier League (WPL). 

Acquired by the Gujarat Giants for her base price of Rs 30 lakh during the WPL 2027 auction in Kochi on Wednesday, October 28, Prendergast’s signing marks a breakthrough moment for Irish women’s sports on the global franchise stage.  

ALSO READ: WPL 2027 auction concludes: Full squads and player lists for Mumbai Indians, RCB, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants

Who Is Orla Prendergast? 

Born on 1 June 2002 in Dublin, Prendergast is a versatile, dynamic right-handed all-rounder known for her aggressive middle-order batting and reliable medium-fast bowling.

Before committing fully to cricket, Prendergast was a dual-sport athlete, representing Ireland at the Under-17 level in football as a center-back. Her athleticism from football carried seamlessly onto the cricket field, where she rapidly rose through Ireland's youth ranks before making her mark in
international cricket.

Prendergast made her T20I debut against the Netherlands in August 2019 and her ODI debut against Zimbabwe in October 2021. She has quickly established herself as one of Ireland’s most important white-ball players, combining aggressive batting with useful seam bowling.⁠

In T20Is she has played 88 matches, scoring 2,054 runs at an average of around 30.20 and a strike rate of 122.77, with 14 fifties and a highest score of 80. With the ball she has taken 69 wickets at an average of roughly 19.5 and an economy of 5.76, including a best of 4/22.

In ODIs, she has scored over 1,260 runs (including a career-best 122* against Sri Lanka) and taken 30 wickets.⁠

Franchise Cricket Experience

Beyond international duties, she has honed her skills in overseas franchise and domestic competitions:

The Hundred (UK): Representing teams like Western Storm and Trent Rockets.

English Domestic Cricket: Turning out for The Blaze in List A and regional T20 setups.

Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL): Gaining overseas franchise exposure in varied conditions.

What She Brings To Gujarat Giants

The Gujarat Giants have frequently looked to diversify their roster with high-ceiling, multi-utility cricketers, and Prendergast fits that mold directly:

Middle-Overs Acceleration: Capable of clearing the ropes and rotating strike against both pace and spin.

Bowling Flexibility: Can take the new ball to extract early swing or bowl tight spells through the middle overs.

Athletic Outfielding: Brings high-intensity ground fielding and safe hands in the boundary rope areas.

Prendergast will compete for one of the four overseas slots in Gujarat Giants’ playing XI (Ireland, as an Associate nation, does not qualify for the additional Associate overseas spot under WPL rules). The franchise also signed Indian wicketkeeper-batter G. Kamalini (Rs 40 lakh) and uncapped all-rounder
Samaira Raghav (Rs 10 lakh) at the same auction.

A Watershed Moment for Irish Cricket

While male counterparts from Ireland like Paul Stirling and Josh Little have previously featured in global T20 leagues (with Little landing an IPL deal with Gujarat Titans in 2023), Prendergast’s WPL deal opens the door for Irish women cricketers.

Her entry into the WPL not only provides her the opportunity to share dressing rooms with some of the game's biggest stars but also shines an invaluable spotlight on the growth and professionalism of the women’s game in Ireland.