3 reasons why the Ahmedabad franchise should sign the Pandya brothers before IPL Auction 2022
Ahmedabad's IPL team will make its debut in the upcoming season. The BCCI have added Ahmedabad and Lucknow to the world's grandest T20 league ahead of the 15th edition.
Because of the inclusion of the two new teams, fans will witness a different auction in 2022. Unlike the recent mini-auctions, the teams entering the auction will only have three to four players in their squads.
According to reports, the existing eight teams can retain a maximum of four players, while the two new entrants can pick three players each before IPL Auction 2022 gets underway.
Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya maybe be approached by the new Ahmedabad franchise if they don't figure in the Mumbai Indians retention list. (Source - Cricbuzz)
While KL Rahul appears to be ready to join the Lucknow franchise, the Ahmedabad team may reportedly approach Hardik and Krunal Pandya ahead of IPL Auction 2022.
There has been no official update yet from Ahmedabad team owners or the Pandya brothers, but here are three reasons why Ahmedabad should sign the two all-rounders.
#1 Pandya brothers have a ton of IPL experience
The future is always uncertain but what’s certain is that we’ll always be brothers in arms ❤️ The engine room will always run together 🤗 https://t.co/89IJcTGQIa
Hardik and Krunal are two of the most experienced Indian all-rounders in the IPL right now.
The Mumbai Indians have reportedly decided to let go of the Pandya brothers, but it could prove to be a big mistake because both players have the ability to turn matches in a matter of a few moments.
Krunal Pandya has played 84 IPL matches, while Hardik has represented the Mumbai Indians in 92 games. Both players have scored more than 1,000 runs and taken 40+ wickets each. They have won multiple trophies together and know the formula to succeed.
Thus, the Ahmedabad franchise should consider signing the Pandya brothers because of their IPL experience.
#2 Not many Indian all-rounders are as talented as the Pandya brothers
All w̶a̶r̶m̶e̶d̶ fired up 🔥 https://t.co/1z8NDwtSxQ
It is rare to see two top-quality Indian all-rounders in the same IPL squad. One of the main reasons behind the Mumbai Indians' success was that they had two exceptional all-rounders in Hardik and Krunal.
Hardik is an explosive right-handed batter and a right-arm pacer. Krunal is a left-handed batter and a slow left-arm spinner. The Pandya brothers bring a lot of variety to the table.
If Ahmedabad does sign Hardik and Krunal, they will have one of the strongest contingents of Indian all-rounders irrespective of whom they sign at the auction.
#3 The local connection
Can’t wait to get going @mipaltan 💙 https://t.co/IHzMHHAzWE
Most IPL fans would know that the Pandya brothers were born in Gujarat. They play domestic cricket for Baroda, but have only played for the Mumbai Indians in their IPL careers so far.
Ahmedabad's IPL team is the second to originate from the state of Gujarat. The previous one was Gujarat Lions which represented the city of Rajkot in IPL 2016 and 2017. The Pandya brothers did not get an opportunity to play for the Gujarat Lions in those two seasons.
But in 2022, they could represent their home franchise for the first time in IPL history. Considering that the Ahmedabad IPL franchise will aim to form a solid fanbase in its home region, having two local faces will help a lot.
It will be interesting to see if the Ahmedabad IPL franchise indeed signs the Pandya brothers before IPL Auction 2022.