Gujarat Titans, one of two new additions to the famous IPL event, will make their debut this year in a 10-team format. Gujarat Titans is the name given to the Ahmedabad-based franchise, and it is arguably the simplest name one can think of. Furthermore, their logo appears to be much simpler, with a misreading of plain WordArt.

Gujarat Titans created some commotion even before the Mega Auction began. They kept three players for a stunning Rs 38 crore, the highest any organisation has paid on retention of their top three players. Hardik Pandya and Rashid have signed for Rs 15 crore apiece, while Shubman Gill was signed for Rs 8 crore. In addition, Hardik Pandya has been named captain for this season.

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When it comes to the Auction, you can easily assume that the Gujarat Titans were below-average. Their plan, led by experienced bowler Ashish Nehra, appeared out of place, with no emphasis on balancing the lineup. The team didn’t receive any excellent Indian batter in the auction, and they spent Rs 9 crore for out-of-form Rahul Tewatia’s services.

Gujarat Titans Squad:

Batters and WKs: Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, Jason Roy, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (WK) & Wriddhiman Saha (WK).

All-rounders: Alzarri Joseph, B Sai Sudharshan, Darshan Nalkande, Dominic Drakes, Hardik Pandya (C), Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia & Vijay Shankar.

Bowlers: Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Yash Dayal, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore & Rashid Khan.

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Openers:

When we look at the choices for the opening spot for the Gujarat Titans, it is a no-brainer to see Shubman Gill start the innings alongside Jason Roy. If it had been IPL 2022, Jason Roy would have struggled to even make the team, let alone play 11. However, such is the Gujarat Titans’ selection that Jason Roy is in contention to play in all of their matches.

With Shubman Gill’s move to Gujarat Titans, the kid will be given greater responsibility as an opener. He has been maintained as a possible future leader. He was KKR’s top batter in the previous three years combined, and he’d like to keep it up with Gujarat Titans.

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Middle-order:

When it comes to the middle order, Gujarat Titans will struggle the most. They must field a wicket-keeper, either Wriddhiman Saha or Matthew Wade. If they play Matthew Wade, David Miller will be replaced by one of Vijay Shankar or Wriddhiman Saha. However, David Miller is a better hitter than Wade. As a result, a combination of Saha and Miller appears to be more powerful than Wade and Shankar.

Meanwhile, one name that drew everyone’s attention was Abhinav Manohar. In his first IPL season, the excellent Karnataka finisher went for a good Rs 2.6 Crore. He did well for Karnataka in his rookie season, and Gujarat Titans paid a hefty price for him based on his potential. Fortunately for Abhinav, the Gujarat Titans’ batting is so poor that he will almost certainly play at 5 or 6.

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All-rounders:

When it comes to all-rounders, the Gujarat Titans have a few alternatives. Gujarat Titans, led by the hard-hitting Hardik Pandya, also have the services of Rahul Tewatia and Jayant Yadav for the all-rounder position. The challenge for GT will be whether to play three spinners or a quick alternative like Yash Dayal, Varun Aaron, and others. Jayant offers extra value to the squad as a powerful 11 player.

Given that Hardik Pandya is also the captain, he would most likely be flexible in the batting order, coming in to bat depending on the match scenario. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how Rahul Tewatia, the one-season wonder, performs with the Gujarat Titans. He demonstrated his skill in the 2020 edition, but after a few nice cameos, he was cut.

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Bowlers:

Gujarat Titans appear to be particularly powerful in this area. When it comes to their top three bowlers, Afghanistan Magician Rashid Khan leads the bowling assault. The speed of Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami would also help him. The 12 overs of this trio would be incredibly important since they may affect the direction of the game. The final 8 overs will require crucial contributions from Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, and Jayant Yadav.

In addition to these three, the Gujarat Titans boast two more strong foreign pacers in Dominic Drakes and Alzarri Joseph. Darshan Nalkande, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, and Yash Dayal are among the future Indian pacers. There is undoubtedly promise here, but they will have to wait their turn to play in the starting 11.

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Possible XI of Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), David Miller, Hardik Pandya (C), Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Jayant Yadav, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami & Lockie Ferguson.