3 marquee players GT should target in IPL 2025 auction ft. David Miller
There were many surprising names in the list of released players when the 10 teams announced their retentions ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 Mega Auction. As for the Gujarat Titans (GT), they retained five players - Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharshan, Rahul Tewatia, and Shahrukh Khan.
The 2022 champions will have INR 69 crore to spend at the auction table, with a squad of at least 18 players to be built. Former skipper Hardik Pandya’s exit from the team last year led to the teams making several strategic changes. With the mega auction set to bring about a huge change, they’ll look to build a squad similar to the one in their inaugural season.
Pandya’s move to Mumbai Indians led to Gill being handed over the captaincy, but the team had left several gaps after their 2024 auction, and an all-rounder’s absence in the team was felt. GT’s think tank would look to fill all gaps before commencing their 2025 campaign.
On that note, let’s look at three marquee players whom GT should target at the upcoming auction:
#3 Mohammad Shami
After a prolonged injury break, Mohammad Shami marked his comeback in style and returned to competitive cricket by picking up a four-wicket haul in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Bowling 19 overs for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh, Shami registered figures of 4/54, including 10 maidens.
Representing Gujarat Titans in the team’s first-ever IPL season in 2022, Shami put up remarkable performances and found his place in the squad for the 2024 edition as well, only to miss out on the entire season after undergoing ankle surgery.
With GT having one RTM remaining, they might as well use it for Shami to strengthen their pace unit. Having played with similar faces in the squad, Shami would bring a lot to the table being one of the senior-most players on the list.
#2 Arshdeep Singh
With one RTM left, GT can target a marquee player by using that right and go all out for another marquee player banking on the huge purse that they have got. And one player whom the 2022 champions can target is Arshdeep Singh.
If they manage to retain Shami and use their money wisely, they can bid for Arshdeep at the auction and build one of the finest pace unit. A playing XI with both Shami and Arshdeep in their ranks could only mean one thing - destruction.
The think tank will have a task in hand if they wish to get marquee players in their pace unit. If they fail to get Shami back, they will need to spend big bucks for a fast bowler, and the options are wide open. But with Arshdeep’s recent performances for Team India and his exploits in India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign, teams would be hell-bent on adding the Punjab pacer to their side.
#1 David Miller
If Gujarat Titans don’t use their RTM for Shami, David Miller should be their go-to guy to use that right on. IPL 2024 saw them struggling in the middle order, with only a few dependable names to fulfill the finisher’s role.
Miller has been a crucial cog in the team and he’d bring in all good things for any franchise he represents. We have seen him put up crucial, match-winning performances for his national side as well in franchise-based tournaments, and that’s all that the Gujarat-based franchise needs at the moment.
Things turned topsy-turvy with Pandya’s exit last season, and GT were left with Rahul Tewatia and Miller as designated finishers. With the mega auction set to bring about further changes in all the teams, the middle-order, especially the finisher’s role, would be something that GT might not compromise upon. Hence, retaining Miller would be a wise choice.