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 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.
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 will play its first game in the IPL against another debutant, the Lucknow Super Giants, on March 28 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. And besides Shubman, the 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 Gill feels that his former KKR teammate from New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson, who is now a part of the 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 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 Ferguson, who took 13 wickets in eight matches for Kolkata last season.
