5 fast bowlers Gujarat Titans can target in the upcoming IPL Auction

Gujarat Titans, under Hardik Pandya's captaincy, became champions in their very first season in the IPL. The Titans were firing on all cylinders and had a well-balanced side.

They have traded pacer Lockie Ferguson to the Kolkata Knight Riders and Varun Aaron has been released from the squad. Ferguson took 12 wickets in 13 matches and was instrumenatal to Gujarat's success last season.

𝘊𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘦 💜

#LockieFerguson #AmiKKR https://t.co/5ORFW3v9if

Gujarat Titans will be looking to sign a fast bowler to replace Ferguson for the upcoming season. Here are the five fast bowlers Gujarat Titans can target in the upcoming IPL auction.

#1 Wayne Parnell

Parnell is an experienced all-rounder who has performed exceptionally well in T20I cricket this year. He is the third-highest wicket taker for South Africa this calendar year with 16 wickets in 13 T20I matches.

He is also handy with the bat and can strike the ball big. Parnell is a rejuvenated player and is an integral part of South Africa in T20 cricket. He has prior IPL experience as well, having played 26 games from 2011 to 2014.

Parnell will add experience and quality to Gujarat's pace attack and will be a smart buy for Gujarat Titans.

#2 Naveen Ul-Haq

Naveen is a talented young right-arm fast bowler who plays for Afghanistan. He has picked up 13 wickets in nine matches for Afghanistan in T20I cricket this year.

Naveen had an excellent season in the Vitality Blast and was the second-highest wicket taker. He picked up 24 wickets at an economy rate of 7.70 for Leicestershire in the Vitality Blast. Naveen will be able to prosper under the able guidance of coach Ashish Nehra and will be a great buy for the Gujarat Titans

#3 Vidhwath Kaverappa

Kaverappa is a young right-arm pacer who has done well this domestic season for Karnataka. He bagged 17 wickets in 13 games for the Gulbarga Mystics in the latest edition of the Maharaja Trophy T20 (formerly known as the Karnataka Premier League).

Kaverappa also did well for Karnataka in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, bagging 18 wickets in eight matches at a brilliant economy rate of 6.36. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he picked up 16 wickets in eight matches. Kaverappa will be a smart signing for the Gujarat Titans as signing him could open up a slot for foreign players with a different skill set.

Karnataka vs Punjab QF : Player of the Match : Vidwath Kaverappa: 10-1-40-4 👏

#crickettwitter #VijayHazareTrophy https://t.co/QzHtDCSwI8

#4 Craig Overton

Overton is a right-arm pacer and is vastly experienced in English county cricket. The tall Englishman bowls accurately and has the ability to swing the ball. He was impressive in the Test series against India last year and took six wickets in the Headingley Test match.

He can bat pretty well and has scored more than three thousand runs in first-class cricket. Overton will add variety and depth to Gujarat's pace attack and will be a smart buy for the defending champions.

#5 Jaydev Unadkat

Unadkat has been in great form for Saurashtra and was the highest wicket taker in this season's Vijay Hazare Trophy. He took 19 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 3.33 and has also bowled 16 maiden overs. Unadkat's captaincy was instrumental in Saurashtra's victory in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

He is an extremely experienced IPL campaigner. He has featured in over 10 editions of the tournament and has played 91 matches.

Unadkat might not be at the top of the Gujarat Titans' list but is certainly a player worth considering buying given his current form.

Winners Are Grinners! 🏆 ☺️

@JUnadkat - captain of Saurashtra - receives the #VijayHazareTrophy from the hands of Mr. @JayShah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI. 👏 👏

Scorecard 👉 bcci.tv/domestic/vijay…

#Final | #SAUvMAH | @mastercardindia | @saucricket https://t.co/fBrgckoghb

The defending champions have their work cut out at the auction. Replacing Ferguson with someone who can partner Mohammed Shami and Alzarri Joseph should be at the top of their priority list. Gujarat Titans will have to utilize their purse wisely and look to fill in other loopholes in the squad.