NE SPORTS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, FEB 9
The new Ahmedabad-based IPL team will be called Gujarat Titans. The franchise revealed the name on Wednesday, ahead of the IPL auction on the weekend.
Titans, among two new entrants to the IPL along with Lucknow Super Giants, was bought by CVC Capital Partners (Irelia Company Pte Ltd) last October. The franchise has three players on their roster ahead of the auction: Hardik Pandya (captain), Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.
It will be only the second IPL team for all three players, with Rashid coming over from Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gill from Kolkata Knight Riders, and Pandya from Mumbai Indians. This will also be the first time Pandya leads an IPL franchise.
Titans have also finalised their coaching staff comprising Ashish Nehra (head coach), Gary Kirsten (mentor and batting coach) and Vikram Solanki (director of cricket). The trio has worked together for Royal Challengers Bangalore previously.
Titans will have Rs 52 crore (USD 7 million approx.) in their purse for the auction, having spent Rs 38 crore (USD 5.1 million approx.) on Pandya (Rs 15 crore/USD 2.02 million approx.), Rashid (Rs 15 crore) and Gill (Rs 8 crore/USD 1.07 million approx.).
Titans’ home stadium will be the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket stadium.
“We want this group to achieve great things for Gujarat and its many passionate fans, which is why we have chosen the name Titans,” Siddharth Patel, a partner at CVC, said in a release on Wednesday. “As we approach the league’s mega auction, we are confident that we will be able to put together the right combination of players going into the new season. We want individuals that are not only highly skilled but who are inspired to be Titans of the game.
“We look forward to starting on our journey with the passion and support of the people of Gujarat, and hope to inspire and win over new fans from all over India and the world.”
