IPL 2022: 3 players Gujarat Titans might target to be Shubman Gill’s opening partner

KEY STORY

• Gujarat Titans (GT), one of the two new teams in IPL 2022, will have their task cut out during the mega auction. This is the first time they will be part of the auction and will have plenty of options to choose from. Of course, the expertise of Gary Kirsten, Ashish Nehra and Vikram Solanki will come in handy for the team.

• But with a new captain at the helm and with this being a mega auction, GT will have to build a new team with an eye on the future. Hardik Pandya has been confirmed as GT’s captain. Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill were the other two players who GT picked.

• Picking suitable openers will be a major task for GT as a team’s success heavily depends on the start it gets. Before the IPL 2022 mega auction, here’s a look at 3 players GT might target to be Shubman Gill’s opening partner –Ishan Kishan

Released by Mumbai Indians, Ishan Kishan looks all but set to be one of the most sought-after players in the IPL 2022 auction. His knack for attempting big shots right from the first ball is one of his best qualities and a team can consistently put up a total of over 200 if he does the job consistently.

He is also a captain in domestic cricket and can assist Hardik for many more years to come. Not to forget that he also keeps wickets and performs the dual role. Not just as an opener,  he can also bat in the middle-order and can do the finishing job. All in all, he is a complete package with the bat and can be the future of the franchise.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan has proven credentials in IPL and has been in brilliant form in the past few seasons. Even though he isn’t part of the T20I side now, Dhawan has done exceedingly well in the T20 league and played a key role in Delhi Capitals’ (DC) rise. In 2019, he scored 521 runs when DC made it to the 2nd round for the first time in 7 years.

In 2020, he followed up with 618 runs and in 2021, he finished with 587 runs. With young Gill at one end, GT might look for a senior partner in form of Dhawan. The left-handed batsman has 5784 runs in 192 IPL matches.

David Warner

One of the most consistent openers in IPL’s history, David Warner will bring ample experience at GT if the franchise buys him. He did have a below-par run in IPL 2021 but he bounced back strongly in the T20 World Cup that followed. Warner still has many more years of cricket left in him and can be Gill’s opening partner for the next 3-4 seasons

Warner is a one-time IPL-winning captain and his presence will be helpful to Hardik, who hasn’t led an IPL team yet. Warner knows much about winning IPL and ICC events and can be valuable to GT.