Hardik Pandya will lead Gujarat Titans in its inaugural season. Picture Credit: Twitter
The stage is all set. IPL mega-auction will be one of the most-watched events in the sporting world. After 14 successful editions, India Premier League 2022 has taken a new avatar. Two new franchises will make the game better, competitive and will add more thrill for the cricket fans. Gujarat Titans, the Ahmedabad franchise, will make IPL debut in the upcoming edition under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad will be the home ground for the franchise. The team will play with the core philosophy of being courageous and open-hearted. As perfectly summed up by the franchise representative Siddharth Desai, the group hopes to achieve great heights and treat their cricket fans in the state with inspiring performances.
About the franchise:
CVC Capital acquired the Ahmedabad franchise with a winning bid of Rs 5,625 crore. One of the active private equity investors in sports, the CVC Capitals Partners, has invested heavily in the European and Asian markets to promote sports like volleyball, rugby unions, Formula One, and Moto GP. However, the company's ownership of the Ahmedabad franchise created controversy. Objections were raised regarding the company's association with sports betting companies. But after a round of scrutiny, the franchise was cleared by the BCCI. While the company has enjoyed success in other sports, IPL will be the company's maiden opportunity to invest in cricket.
Team's history:
While Gujarat Lions earlier represented the Gujarat state for two years as the replacement of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. But, the Gujarat Titans will be making their debut in the 15th edition of IPL.
Team's owner:
Siddharth Patel owns CVC Capitals Partners
Team's skipper:
Hardik Pandya will debut as the skipper in the Indian Premier League.
Retained Players:
Franchise roped in Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan for 15 crores each, while Shubman Gill for eight crores.
Strategy for IPL 2022:
The franchise will be hoping to build a formidable team seeking to have a successful campaign in its debut edition. The franchise has already ticked three departments, with Hardik Pandya as the perfect all-rounder, Rashid Khan as a lethal spinner, and Shubham Gill as an opener. Now, the franchise will put their money on forming a solid team around their core retainers.
