IPL 2023 player auction: Gujarat Titans, the defending champions had a stellar run in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). When they first picked their team, fans and experts all across the globe were pretty skeptical about their choices and their chances in the tournament. But they defied all odds as they went on to lift the trophy. After Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans are the only team to win an IPL trophy in their maiden season.
Courtesy of this win, Hardik Pandya is being touted as India's next T20I captain, and why not? Pandya, after the last IPL season as enjoyed immense success as the captain of the Indian cricket team in Rohit Sharma's absence. In their maiden season, Gujarat won 10 out of their 14 league stage games and stamped their authority on the tournament. They accumulated a total of 20 points and finished on the top of the table. Gujarat Titans, for the upcoming season, have kept things pretty simple. They have released just 6 players from their squad. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Lockie Ferguson, Dominic Drakes, Gurkeerat Singh, Jason Roy, and Varun Aaron have all been released. Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have been traded off to Kolkata Knight Riders. Ferguson played a vital role in Gujarat Titans' maiden title victory. Gujarat Titans have 3 overseas slots remaining and have a purse size of INR 19.25 crore for the auction. Here is a list of players that the defending champions might target for the upcoming auction.
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Mayank Agarwal (Base price INR 1 Crore)
Mayan Agarwal was the skipper of Punjab Kings till the last season, but as of now he has been released by the franchise and he certainly will be up for grabs to fill the opener's slot. As an opener in the IPL, Mayank Agarwal has played 68 matches. He has scored 1654 runs at a strike rate of 134.58 and has scored 9 half-centuries and 1 IPL ton.
Joshua Little (Base price INR 50 Lakh)
Ireland's Joshua Little had been rampant with his pace in the recently concluded T20 World Cup which was played in Australia. Gujarat Titans need an express pacer in the absence of Ferguson and Joshua Little certainly fits the bill. In the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup, Little played 7 matches and claimed 11 wickets. He bowled at an economy of 7.00 and registered best figures of 3/22
Dawid Malan (Base price INR 1.5 crore)
Left-handed batter from England Dawid Malan needs no introduction. He is a high-quality T20 batsman and can anchor the innings according to the needs of the team. In 2022 Malan played 37 T20 matches and scored 1120 runs. He has scored these runs at a strike rate of 142. 22 and has registered the highest score of 98*
Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2023 player auctions
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Released: Shardul Thakur, Tim Seifert, Ashwin Hebbar, KS Bharat, Mandeep Singh
Traded in: Aman Khan
Remaining Overseas slots: 2
Current squad: Rishabh Pant (C), David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Yash Dhull, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Aman Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Vicky Ostwal
