Shubman Gill, Indian opening batter will play for IPL 2022 debutants Gujarat Titans after his four-year association with Kolkata Knight Riders, in the 15th edition of the league, which starts on March 26 in Mumbai.
The Gujarat Titans have the likes of all-rounder Hardik Pandya and leg spinner Rashid Khan in their ranks, but Shubman Gill feels that his former Kolkata teammate pacer Lockie Ferguson from New Zealand will be the X-factor in the Ahmedabad-based franchise squad.
Shubman Gill Was Roped In By IPL 2022 Debutant Gujarat Titans For 8 Crores As A Draft Pick
Shubman Gill, who was one of the star performers for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last four seasons of the Indian Premier League, is all set to be part of a new team from this season onwards as he was roped in by IPL debutant Gujarat Titans for Rs 8 crore, as one of the three draft picks ahead of the mega auctions.
The 22-year-old is one of the most talented young cricketers in the country, and the Gujarat Titans have made a huge investment by acquiring his services. The hero of India’s 2018 U-19 World Cup title-winning campaign was part of KKR’s leadership group in the past and has also captained his state side in domestic cricket. His experience will be handy for the Ahmedabad-based franchise as well, which will have a new captain in Hardik Pandya.
Shubman Gill, who has played 10 Tests and three One Day International matches for India, will be eager to leave his mark in the upcoming edition of the world’s richest franchise cricket league, as a good outing in the IPL can open doors for the Indian team as well.
The opening batter has played 58 matches in the IPL up till now and has scored 1417 runs at an average of 31.48. He was a regular starter for KKR and his role with Gujarat Titans will be to provide a good start to the team. Gujarat Titans will play its first game in the IPL against another debutant, the Lucknow Super Giants, on March 28 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
During the IPL 2022 auction, Gujarat Titans picked a total of 10 players in its squad. Lockie Ferguson was the costliest player for the team at Rs. 10 crores. Mohammad Shami, Jason Roy (who opted out later), Rahul Tewatia, and Alzarri Joseph were some other key players that GT picked in their squad during the auction.
The franchise were hit with an early blow after opening batter Jason Roy pulled out of the tournament before it started citing bubble fatigue. Rahmanullah Gurbaz will become the third Afghanistan player at Gujarat Titans who have signed the wicketkeeper-batter for IPL 2022 as a replacement for England opener Jason Roy.
Shubman Gill Thinks Lockie Ferguson Will Be A Huge X-Factor For Gujarat Titans
Besides Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Titans’ side has the likes of star players like Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Mohammad Shami, apart from Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will don the captaincy hat for the first time. But Shubman Gill feels that his former KKR teammate from New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson, who is now a part of the Gujarat Titans, is going to be the X-factor for the team in the upcoming edition.
“Yeah, I think Lockie Ferguson, when we were in the Kolkata Knight Riders, he was a huge asset for us, and I am sure he is going to be a huge X-factor for us in the Gujarat Titans squad,” Shubman Gill said while replying to a query during an interaction with the media on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Kiwi pace merchant was one of the richest buys in the 2022 player mega auction that took place in Bengaluru last month. The Gujarat Titans splashed out Rs 10 crore to acquire the services of Lockie Ferguson, who took 13 wickets in eight matches for Kolkata last season.
Gujarat Titans retained 3 players for a whopping 38 Crores; the most any franchise spent on retention on their top 3 players. Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan were retained for INR 15 Crores each and Shubman Gill was retained for INR 8 Crores.