Gujarat Titans finished runners-up in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). Here’s an in-depth preview for the Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 auction including their strengths, weaknesses, purse remaining, players to target and more.
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Having started their IPL journey only two years back, Gujarat Titans quickly ascended to the top, winning their first season in the tournament and coming close to winning their second in a row in 2023.
However, with their captain Hardik Pandya no longer available after his trade back to Mumbai Indians, GT will have some planning and recruiting to do to fill his shoes. Shubman Gill will take over the reins from Pandya and will have a challenging task of handling a champion team at such a young age on his hands.
Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 auction preview: Trades, full squad, purse & slots remaining
Trades
Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians for INR 15 crore (plus an undisclosed transfer fee which won’t be added to the purse)
Players released
Dasun Shanaka, Shivam Mavi, Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Urvil Patel, Pradeep Sangwan, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph.=
Squad before auction
David Miller, Shubman Gill (c), Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, B. Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma.
Purse remaining (in INR)
38.15 crore
Slots remaining
8 (2 overseas)
Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 auction preview: Strengths
Strong bowling attack
GT have tasted success largely on the back of their world-class bowling attack led by Rashid Khan in the spin department and Mohammed Shami in the pace department. The core of their bowling attack is intact, with a variety of options to choose from based on conditions.
Strong, reliable finishers
One of the reasons GT have an imposing chasing record (14 wins out of 18) since 2022 is their finishers. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia have been extremely reliable at the death with the bat, with Rashid Khan for help.
Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 auction preview: Weaknesses
Inexperienced captain
Shubman Gill has held some leadership roles in domestic and age-group cricket, but not nearly enough to label him an experienced captain. How he takes charge of a successful franchise, both on and off the field, will determine to a large extent how GT feature in IPL 2024.
Lack of explosiveness in the batting order
With Hardik Pandya gone, GT lack a modern-day T20 batter in their top/middle order to keep Gill company. Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Sai Sudharshan, and Vijay Shankar – four batters expected to bat in the top five – all have IPL strike rates less than 140.
Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 auction preview: Potential first XI
Potential first XI: Shubman Gill (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson, Sai Sudharshan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma
Impact player: Darshan Nalkande / R Sai Kishore
Gujarat Titans IPL 2024 auction preview: Players to target
Wicketkeepers: GT need a backup for Saha, preferably Indian, who can bat in the middle order, so that they can pair Gill with explosive international batters at the top. They can target the likes of Shashank Singh and Luvnith Sisodia.
Explosive batters: GT have several anchors in their squad – Gill, Williamson, Sudharsan. They need to target an explosive batter who can take the game on. They can go after the likes of Travis Head, Harry Brook, and Finn Allen.
