IPL 2024 Auction: Three All-Rounders Who Can Potentially Replace Hardik Pandya in Gujarat Titans Squad for Indian Premier League Season 17

The entire fandom went through a phase of surprise and shock when Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans announced the trade of Hardik Pandya from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2024 trade window. It was a massive blow for the 2022 edition champions as Hardik Pandya was their captain who led them to a championship as well as added a lot of value in the team with this rare skillsets and his experience. With him gone, that leaves a big hole in the middle order and also the combination demands a change as Hardik's presence allowed GT to play with their two overseas spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed. Shubman Gill has been appointed the new captain of the franchise. Under the able leadership of coach Ashish Nehra and with the plethora o domestic talents at their disposal. GT will back themselves to find a worthy replacement of Hardik Pandya. IPL 2024: Shreyas Iyer Returns As Kolkata Knight Riders Skipper, Nitish Rana Named Vice-Captain.

The IPL 2024 auction is set to be hosted at Dubai on December 19, 2023. Since Hardik's trade deal happened for all-cash, GT now has an inflated purse of 38.1 crore and it is unlikely for them to miss out on any potential targets with that much of purse in hand with very less slots to fill. The shortlist of the IPL 2024 auction has come out as well and the names of capped all-rounders begin from the set 2. In this article we will take a look at the possible names  Gujarat Titans and Ashish Nehra can look at in the IPL 2024 auction to replace Hardik Pandya.

Three All-Rounders Who Can Potentially Replace Hardik Pandya in GT

1.  Azmatullah Omarzai: The Afghan seam-bowling all-rounder has impressed with his performances in the recently finished ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. With his batting prowess improving much quickly, GT might fancy him to have his ranks specially with his two Afghan teammates already being part of the squad. GT's combination allows them to have one extra overseas slot and they can use it on playing Azmatullah and partner Rashid Khan up with the likes of Sai Kishore.

2. Raj Angad Bawa: PBKS has let go of the talented seam bowling all-rounder who impressed in the U-19 World Cup 2022 and also in domestic cricket. He is available in the auction pool and GT has the experience at the top and the bottom to give the extra space for his huge upside. GT has done this already with the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Noor Ahmed and enjoying the fruits of it.

3. Arshin Kulkarni: The India U-19 all-rounder who is currently opening for India in the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup 2023, impressed during the inaugural edition of the MPL with this all-round performance. He bats in the top order as well as his height gives some extra value for his bowling. He could end up being an attractive option of GT as they have the cushion of experience and skill to give an youngster some freedom to express himself. Shadows Under Shine: Why Hardik Pandya's Shock Trade to Mumbai Indians Is A Dark Spot For IPL Future.

It is not practical to be able to replace the skill and expertise that Hardik Pandya brought to the table alongside the experience straightaway. But GT has already shown that it is possible to make high value buys from the auction market in cheap and make them deliver at their potential with the environment inside the setup and coaching. They will definitely explore their options and get a suitable choice to reinforce their all-rounder crisis.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 14, 2023 07:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).