Can Gujarat Titans avert the disaster of Mega Auction, proving critics wrong in inaugural season?

Gujarat Titans debut in the Indian Premier League auction didn't really go according to plan for them. The CVC capital partners group came into the auction after drafting in the likes of Hardik Pandya as their skipper and along with him, GT roped in Shubham Gill and Rashid Khan. After drafting in their first three players, the Titans were left with 59 crores to work with but it seems like they haven’t utilized it in the best possible manner.

Pandya, Rashid and Gill looked like a strong base that they could build on and assemble a team that could compete for the IPL title in its first-ever season. But, they might have failed big time in executing their auction plan. They did manage to get a few superstar players but might have missed out on a few. Let’s look at their stand out decisions and blunders in the Tata IPL auction 2022.

Uncertainty in the middle order

Shubman Gill is the only proven Indian batter in the ranks of the Titans, they do have a few other names but none of them is a sure shot probability to walk into the playing XI. While they have the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Gurkeerat Singh who can bat in the middle order, they haven’t been effective enough in the Indian Premier League as of late.

The other possibility is that they use Gill at number 3 or 4 and ask Saha to open the innings but they will have to think about this twice because Saha’s strike rate in the last edition of the IPL was below a hundred which isn’t good enough.

Not buying any proven Indian middle-order batter might be their biggest mistake in the auction because if they go for an Overseas batter in the middle, they will be making a sacrifice in other departments. The biggest shock was the fact they hardly pushed for any Indian batter and as things stand they might be playing Vijay Shankar at number 4 or 5 at best which does send a signal out that they are a batter short. 

Jason Roy for INR 2 crores: Titan’s best deal of Tata IPL auction 2022

The Titans have secured Jason Roy for his base price and it did come as a surprise because of the quality that the English opener possesses. He is one of the deadliest batters up top in the power play and has the ability to win you matches on his own. At this point in time, he is ranked 15th in the ICC T20I batting rankings. He will complement Shubman Gill in the best possible way who looks likely to open the innings for the Ahmedabad based franchise.

Breaking the bank on Rahul Tewatia 

Rahul Tewatia was the star man for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2020 IPL. The Indian all-rounder had a huge impact in the tournament that was organized in the UAE and on the back of his performances in 202 he has bagged an IPL contract worth INR 9 crores. He will be plying his trade for Gujarat Titans in the upcoming edition of the league. He might have won RR a few fixtures two years, but 9 crores feel a little too much when we look at the fact that he was below average in the previous edition of the IPL. He could only score 155 runs at an average of 15.50 and picked up 8 wickets at an average of over 40 while having an economy of over 9. His stats don’t really back his price tag.

The Titans have overspent their cash on a player who suffered in the last season and with it, they have failed to get the balance right in their team. They have quite a few all-rounders in their squad who will complement him. Tewatia will slot into the playing 11 directly but when we look at the overall dynamics his price tag might have restricted them from spending on some middle-order batters that they would have liked to have in their ranks. 

Lethal bowling unit: An All bases covered attack

While the CVC Capital owned franchise might have failed to get the balance right in their batting unit they have managed to bring together a bowling unit good enough to win you matches. They have variety in their bowling unit and have bowlers who are specialized in particular roles.

Out of all the bowlers that they have in their squad, Rashid Khan is by far the biggest name. He is arguably the best T20 bowler in the world. A leg spinner who can cause troubles for any batting line-up in the world. 

They have added Lockie Ferguson, Mohammad Shami, Alzarri Joseph, Varun Aaron, RS Kishore and Pradeep Sangwan to their ranks. The New Zealand speedster Ferguson is someone who can clock over 145 kmph and is effective in both the power play and the death overs. Shami is an experienced Indian international who will complement Ferguson. The likes of Sangwan and Aaron are most likely their backup pacers, one of them might even feature in a few fixtures alongside both Shami and Ferguson.

With Lockie Ferguson in their ranks, it might be difficult for Alzarri Joseph to feature in the playing eleven but if he does play he is someone who can do a lot of damage with the ball. Last time around when he featured in a match in the IPL, the Antiguan medium-pacer managed to pick up 6 wickets for just 12 runs. It was some performance by the West Indian bowler.

Their all-rounders will also add a lot of value to their bowling unit. If Hardik Pandya manages to be fit enough to bowl his quota of overs they will have an added boost and the inclusion of Rahul Tewatia, as well as Vijay Shankar, ensures the fact that they will always have 6 to 7 bowling options at their disposal.

Matthew Wade to the rescue at INR 2.40 crores

Prior to the start of the accelerated auction, the Titans were in a spot of bother. They lacked experience in their batting order and were in search of a wicket-keeper. They snapped up Matthew Wade for a decent amount and his recent form suggests that it is a steal in different ways. The Ahmedabad based franchise had spent their major kitty on bowlers and all-rounders and were left with a very small amount to work with and in such situations, Wade proved to be a great deal for them. 

The Australian wicket-keeper batter is a great option behind the stumps and is someone who can bat at any given position in the batting order. The Titans have a few loopholes in their batting order, but Wade might be an answer to a few of those issues as he is a proven floater who can contribute at any given position.