From the past week, there has been a lot of buzz about Hardik Pandya’s trade deal. Now, many reliable sources have confirmed the deal between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, however, the two franchises have yet to announce the news officially. But the question arose as Hardik Pandya left the franchise, who will be the captain of Gujarat Titans in 2024. Let’s delve into the possibilities with five players being considered for the next Gujarat Titans captain’s role.
Yesterday, the Gujarat-based franchise revealed their list of retained players, comprising 17 names. Surprisingly, Hardik Pandya was among them. However, with the Trade Window still open, GT management is going to trade the all-rounder to Mumbai Indians. As a result, the current 16-man Gujarat Titans squad presents numerous options for the next captain’s role. Below is the list of GT’s retained players ahead of the Auction.
GT Squad for IPL 2024: David Miller, Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, Kane Williamson, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, Mohit Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Joshua Little, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhinav Manohar, B Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar
5 Players Who Can Be the New Gujarat Titans Captain in IPL 2024
1. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is likely the top pick for captaincy as he is young, and the franchise is planning for the long run with him. He is the current vice-captain of the franchise which makes him the automatic pick. Gill also served as vice-captain of India’s u19 team which won the World Cup in 2018. He has also led the India C team on some occasions. Gujarat Titans, having successfully groomed Hardik Pandya into a captain, can follow a similar path with Shubman Gill.
2. Kane Williamson
No doubt, Kane Williamson is a great choice for captain at Gujarat Titans due to his extensive experience. With previous leadership roles in the SRH IPL franchise and as the captain of New Zealand team, he’s a strong candidate. If the GT management prefers an experienced captain, Kane Williamson is likely to be named as the new captain of Gujarat Titans.
3. Rashid Khan
If the franchise feels that captaincy will create a burden on Shubman Gill as it will be an unfamiliar task for him. They have another young option in Rashid Khan. At 25, Rashid is not only youthful but also mature, having captained the Afghanistan national team. His leadership stint with SRH in 2018 didn’t impact his performance as a bowler. Additionally, Rashid has previously led Gujarat Titans in two games, making him only the second player to captain the franchise after Hardik Pandya.
4. David Miller
Another option will be South Africa’s David Miller. Miller is also an experienced captain who currently leads SA20 side Paarl Royals. In IPL 2016, he led the Punjab Kings in 6 games, however, the team could only win one game under him. But his captaincy record for the South African T20 side is better than his IPL captaincy record.
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5. Matthew Wade
A wicket-keeper captain can be a game-changer in cricket, MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara are the biggest examples. They have the ability to control every part of the field and make smart decisions, especially when it comes to taking DRS. Matthew Wade is an experienced captain and currently serving as the standby captain of the Australian team. He fits this mold well.