GT's search for a new skipper beigns after shock move to trade off Hardik Pandya!
Gujarat Titans shocked everyone after they decided to let go of skipper Hardik Pandy to Mumbai Indians on the final day (November 19) of submitting the list of retained and released players for IPL 2024 auction. Notably, Pandya had led the franchise to their maiden IPL title in their debut season. With Pandya gone, GT will need to find a captain figure, either within the team or buy at the auction.
IPL 2023 runners-up Gujarat Titans (GT) have made a promising start to their IPL history and Hardik Pandya nearly led them to their second consecutive IPL title in the Tata IPL 2023 but faced a setback against CSK in the final.
Despite this, they had an excellent season, winning 10 matches and finishing at the top of the points table. Their effective strategies took them to two finals in their first two seasons, winning once.
As of the previous season, BCCI allowed franchises to use the “TRADE” option where teams can exchange players between them. The ‘IPL Trade Window’ allows the franchises to either swap players between themselves or buy players for an all-cash deal.
The IPL 2024 players released will be put up on auction and get the opportunity to join another team before the league begins.
According to the IPL rules, each franchise can have 25 players in their squad, out of which a maximum of 8 can be foreign players. In Playing XI, each team can have a maximum of 4 overseas players in the mix.
IPL 2024 Auction Date: BCCI planned to host the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai on December 19. The deadline for the final submission of the list of released and retained players is November 26.
IPL Auction 2024 Venue: BCCI planned to host the IPL 2024 Auction in Dubai. As this will be a mini-auction, it will be a day-long event only. Notably, IPL 2024 Auction will be the first of its kind to be held overseas.
GT Players Released: The Titans have decided to release pacer Yash Dayal, former Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka, Odean Smith, Pradeep Sangwan, and Urvil Patel among the total 8 released. It’s worth noting that Yash Dayal made the headlines last season for an unwanted record after being smashed for five sixes by Rinku Singh. Here is the final list of players released by GT:
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IPL 2024 Players Released and Retained List for:
GT Players Retained: Skipper Hardik Pandya was initially retained but an hour later news surfaced that Mumbai Indians have secured the all-rounder’s services. However, other big names like Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami as expected were retained by the franchise for the new season. Sudarshan was a revelation in IPL 2023 and also followed suit. The final Retained Players list by GT is given below.
BCCI increased the purse value of the franchises by INR 5 crores over the existing purse value of about INR 95 crores. Gujarat Titans had the lowest remaining budget prior to the trade of Hardik. Now with the deal gone through, the franchise seems to be a little better off for upcoming the auction
GT Remaining purse: Gujarat Titans had a remaining purse value of INR 13.85 crore (Before Pandya trade)
With the the departure of skipper Hardik Pandya, the franchise will have a major task cut-out to fill in the void. Otherwise, GT boasts of an extremely strong core and will look to make small tweaks in their team to go one step further than last season and win the IPL title for a second time.
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