The second new franchise after Lucknow Super Giants, the Gujarat Titans are ready for their maiden appearance in the IPL.
Bought by CVC Capital Partners, the team has the experience of Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten.
Hardik Pandya will be leading the side and will try to prove his worth to the Indian selectors.
Although the team looks pretty set on paper, the management have some issues to deal with in the rundown to the tournament before they play their first game against Lucknow Super Giants.
The Titans’ next match will be against the Delhi Capitals in Pune.
Gujarat Titans fared pretty well at the auction and after their three mega retentions, they spent INR 25.25 crores on three players alone- Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami and Rahul Tewatia.
Some of their other pricier buys were Abhinav Manohar, R Sai Kishore, Jason Roy and Alzarri Joseph.
So, as far as players are concerned, the Titans are in a relatively safe position as their bowlers are capable to stop the run flow and take wickets.
After the departure of Jason Roy, the Titans will push Matthew Wade into the opener’s slot along with Shubhman Gill.
They have the problem of the No.3 batsman. A lot of options are available who all want to cement their places in the team.
Vijay Shankar and Wriddhiman Saha could well fight for the No.3 slot.
Additionally, David Miller could be pushed to No.4, with Hardik Pandya at No.5.
Another player to watch out for will be Gurkeerat Singh Mann as he too is capable of hitting boundaries and providing stability to the team.
This is also a great opportunity for Sai Kishore to make his mark. He spent his last 3 years in the Chennai Super Kings’ camp serving drinks.
Let’s see if Gujarat Titans prove their mettle in this year’s tournament.
