Gujarat Titans made clever additions to their squad as they prepare to try and retain their Indian Premier League title ahead of the 2023 edition.
Their biggest purchase was seam bowler Shivam Mavi, who cost the franchise just over $730,000. They have also added the experienced Kane Williamson to their line-up, something that will help their top-order.
The reigning champions have also improved their depth in the bowling department with the signing of Joshua Little, who is in the final stages of recovering from a hamstring injury.
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GT 2023 IPL squad
Coach Ashish Nehra bought seven players via the auction not only to add more competition for places, but to also cover for players going on international duty. David Miller will miss the opening game due to South Africa's ODI match against the Netherlands, while Little is set to miss a few games in May as he travels home for an ODI series versus Bangladesh.
| Player | Role | Age | Auction Price | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya (c) | All-rounder | 29 | IND 15 crore ($1.8m) | India |
| David Miller | Batter | 33 | IND 3 crore ($365,000) | South Africa |
| Shubman Gill | Batter | 23 | IND 8 crore ($974,000) | India |
| Abhinav Manohar | Batter | 28 | IND 2.6 crore ($316,000) | India |
| Matthew Wade | Batter/wicket-keeper | 35 | IND 2.4 crore ($292,000) | Australia |
| Wriddhiman Saha | Batter/wicket-keeper | 38 | IND 1.9 crore ($231,000) | India |
| Sai Sudharsan | Batter | 21 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Darshan Nalkande | Bowler | 24 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Jayant Yadav | All-rounder | 33 | IND 1.7 crore ($206,000) | India |
| Pradeep Sangwan | Bowler | 32 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| Rahul Tewatia | All-rounder | 29 | IND 9 crore ($1.09m) | India |
| Shivam Mavi | Bowler | 24 | IND 6 crore ($730,000) | India |
| Vijay Shankar | All-rounder | 32 | IND 1.4 crore ($170,000) | India |
| Alzarri Joseph | Bowler | 26 | IND 2.4 crore ($292,000) | West Indies |
| Mohammad Shami | Bowler | 32 | IND 6.25 crore ($760,000) | India |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | 22 | IND 30 lakhs ($36,500) | Afghanistan |
| Sai Kishore | Bowler | 26 | IND 3 crore ($365,000) | India |
| Rashid Khan | All-rounder | 24 | IND 15 crore ($1.8m) | Afghanistan |
| Yash Dayal | Bowler | 25 | IND 3.2 crore ($390,000) | India |
| Kane Williamson | Batter | 32 | IND 2 crore ($243,000) | New Zealand |
| Joshua Little | Bowler | 23 | IND 4.4 crore ($535,600) | Ireland |
| Odean Smith | All-rounder | 26 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,800) | West Indies |
| Urvil Patel | Batter/wicket-keeper | 24 | IND 20 lakhs ($24,000) | India |
| KS Bharat | Batter/wicket-keeper | 29 | IND 1.2 crore ($146,000) | India |
| Mohit Sharma | Bowler | 31 | IND 50 lakhs ($60,800) | India |
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Gujarat Titans stars, strengths & weaknesses
The Titans have recruited well in the two auctions they have been involved in, having the right mix of young talent and experience. Their batting line-up certainly looks strong on paper, especially higher up the order.
Stars
Rashid Khan is certainly one of the bigger names in the team, often being called the best white-ball bowler in the world. He has a big job on his hands this season as the lead spinner in the bowling unit.
Skipper Hardik Pandya will look to lead with both bat and ball as he is one of the most dangerous players in the death overs. He will also want to once again show how good of a leader he is as his name is mentioned alongside the India white-ball captaincy role.
Strengths
During the 2022 campaign, Pandya finished fourth in the race for the Orange Cap with 487 runs, Shubman Gill came fifth with 483 runs and David Miller sat in sixth with 481 runs. Although Williamson was not at his best last year, he could thrive in the number three role in this side.
Mohammed Shami and Khan combined for 39 wickets last season. One of the Titans' best traits was that the big players did not shy away from the pressure of representing a new franchise.
🔝order, quite literally 😉#AavaDe | #TATAIPL2023 pic.twitter.com/2XH6wpSUFv
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) March 27, 2023
Weaknesses
Despite an abundance of bowlers, not many have experience in the IPL. With Lockie Ferguson moving to the Kolkata Knight Riders, Shami could be left to do a big job bowling in the final overs.
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