IPL Mega Auction 2022: Gujarat Titans look to build solid foundation in maiden season

The Ahmedabad-based team which was on Wednesday christened Gujarat Titans, is one of the two teams debuting this season, along with the Lucknow Super Giants. Just like Super Giants, the Titans will also look to make an impact in the 15th edition of the IPL and to do that they would need astute signings. They have already signed Hardik Pandya as their captain for Rs 15 crore as well as Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan for the same amount. To round off their third draft pick they roped in batter Shubman Gill for Rs 7 crore who had a decent season with KKR last season.

Here’s looking at some of the probable picks that Gujarat Titans can make in the 2-day extravaganza:

Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis.

Gujarat Titans will look to start with a bang in their debut season and to do that they must start their innings also with one and that is where Faf du Plessis comes in. The South African was the second highest scorer in the IPL 2021, four runs behind Chennai Super Kings team-mate Ruturaj Gaikwad. He was not retained by Chennai but it is very likely that CSK will go all out to buy him back in order to keep the IPL 2021 winning squad together. If Ahmedabad wants to get him, they will have to go all out for him.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer.

This is a big one and one who is expected to be the highest priced player in the upcoming mega auction. Following his stint in the Delhi Capitals and being not retained, Shreyas is without a team ahead of IPL 2022. An explosive batter who can win matches on his own, Iyer should be a chief target for the Ahmedabad franchise and they might have to break the bank to get him through the door. With the bigger franchises gunning for his signature, Ahmedabad will have to dig in their heels and make sure they get him.

Shakib al Hasan

Shakib al Hasan.

Shakib al Hasan was released by Kolkata Knight Riders for this edition of the IPL. He is one of the most experienced players in the world as well as arguably Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer. A dependable left-handed batsman who can anchor the innings, a wicket-taking orthodox bowler who can keep it tight and a safe fielder, Shakib has rallied his nation with consistent performances across formats. As an all-rounder, he is invaluable to any side in T20 cricket and Ahmedabad can do with such a seasoned player in their squad.

R Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin has been having a pretty up and down year thus far. He made his return to the Indian ODI side during the recent tour of South Africa but could not stamp his mark. This resulted in his omission from the ongoing white ball series against West Indies. He will be a deeply motivated player after being released by Delhi Capitals and Ahmedabad can pounce on this opportunity. Ashwin will be chomping at the bits to prove that he has a lot to offer in the white ball setup and if Ahmedabad can snap him up, they will have a genuine match-winner in their ranks. His skill and adaptive capabilities came to the fore in IPL 2020 when he helped DC get to the final for the first time ever and who knows, he might be able to do it again with a new team.

Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa.

Robin Uthappa, who has scored 4607 IPL runs, was traded to Chennai Super Kings by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2021 Player Auction. This year, he has been let go by the Chennai-based outfit. Uthappa was one of KKR’s star-turns in the title-winning efforts in 2012 and 2014 with aggregate run tallies of 405 and 660 runs in the respective editions and he also showed some fine form for the CSK in the latter stages of the match when he replaced Suresh Raina in the 11 at last editions of the IPL.