Ranking GT's buys at the IPL 2023 auction
The Gujarat Titans (GT) had a fantastic IPL 2023 Auction on Friday (December 23), where they signed a total of seven players.
The defending Indian Premier League champions did not make too many changes to their squad from the previous season. Star players like Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, David Miller, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade retained their places in the squad.
The franchise also surprised a few fans by releasing Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the trade window. However, GT made up for those two releases by signing some top talents at the IPL 2023 Auction.
In this article now, we will rank the seven signings made by Gujarat Titans at the mini auction.
#7 Mohit Sharma
Fast bowler Mohit Sharma is SOLD to Gujarat Titans for INR 50 Lakh
#TATAIPLAuction | @TataCompanies
Gujarat Titans roped in former IPL Purple Cap winner Mohit Sharma for ₹50 lakh at the IPL 2023 Auction. Sharma went unsold in IPL 2022 and was a net bowler for the Titans. He played his last IPL game back in 2020 for the Delhi Capitals, where he returned figures of 1/45 against the Punjab Kings.
Sharma scalped six wickets in eight matches at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year. He looked in decent touch, but it will be interesting to see how he performs at the grand stage of the IPL if given a chance.
#6 Urvil Patel
Wicket-keeper Urvil Patel is SOLD to Gujarat Titans for INR 20 Lakh
#TATAIPLAuction | @TataCompanies
Mohit Sharma was ranked below uncapped player Urvil Patel because GT already have many top-quality pacers in their team. The same cannot be said about their wicket-keeping department though.
Gujarat needed some depth in that area, and they roped in uncapped wicket-keeper Urvil at the IPL 2023 auction. It will be exciting to see how he performs for GT, though his opportunities are likely to be limited as long as Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade stay fit.
#5 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi will play for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 🤩
#CricketTwitter #IPL https://t.co/cntUzxmGeh
Shivam Mavi had a forgettable season with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022. He responded with some brilliant displays for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scalping 10 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.64.
Mavi is a top talent, but it was a bit of a surprise to see GT spending ₹6 crore for his services at the IPL 2023 Auction. It remains to be seen if the young pacer can justify his price tag.
#4 Joshua Little
Josh Little sold to Gujarat for 4.40 crores.
The Gujarat Titans spent ₹4.4 crore to sign Ireland's left-arm pacer Josh Little. The left-arm speedster has done well in T20I cricket and T20 leagues across the world, which is why multiple IPL teams showed plenty of interest in him.
GT have a stacked fast-bowling attack featuring Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, Darshan Nalkande, Pradeep Sangwan, Alzarri Joseph and Hardik Pandya. Little may not feature in their first-choice playing XI, which is why the ₹4.4 crore price tag may seem a little too much.
However, he is a proven talent in the shortest format and could offer the team something different.
#3 Odean Smith
Odean Smith is off to the @gujarat_titans for #IPL23 #CricketPlayedLouder https://t.co/kZt8PgIEry
Finishing the innings well was the Gujarat Titans' strongest department in IPL 2022. They have added one more player to the finishers' group by signing West Indian hard-hitter Odean Smith. The Caribbean star can also bowl four overs of pace.
Smith struggled to perform consistently for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2022. However, at ₹50 lakh, he was one of the best signings made by the Titans at the IPL 2023 Auction.
#2 Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson is sold to Gujarat Titans.
#GT #IPL2023Auction #IPL2023 #CricketTwitter https://t.co/5rFEO9zwbE
GT bought New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at his base price of ₹2 crore at the IPL 2023 Auction.
The Titans had one major issue last season, which was the No. 3 position in their batting lineup. They tried many players in that role, but none of them could make the position their own.
This likely prompted them to go after Williamson. The Kiwi is one of the best top-order batters in the world at the moment and has achieved enormous success in previous IPL seasons.
If he plays to his full potential, GT's move to sign him will be viewed as an incredibly shrewd decision.
#1 KS Bharat
KS Bharat sold to Gujarat for 1.20 crore.
KS Bharat was the best investment made by GT at the IPL 2023 Auction. The defending champions signed the uncapped wicket-keeper batter for ₹1.2 crore.
Bharat did not receive enough opportunities while with the Delhi Capitals last season, but GT could use him as a No. 3 batter and a wicket-keeper. He proved himself to be a match-winner for Royal Challengers Bangalore while batting at No. 3 in IPL 2021.
Shedding some light on his numbers, Bharat batted five innings at No. 3, scoring 179 runs at an average of 44.75 for RCB. Another plus point is that Bharat is younger than GT's senior wicket-keeper batters Matthew Wade and Wriddhiman Saha. If he gets going, he can be a long-term asset for GT.