Ahead of its debut in the Indian Premier League, the Ahmedabad franchise named Hardik Pandya as the captain of the team.
The franchise roped in Hardik for 15 crore, along with Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan for the same amount (Rs 15 crore). The third pick was Shubman Gill, who was signed up for Rs 8 crore.
The team will now have Rs 52 crore in its purse for the IPL 2022 Auction which is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February.
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Hardik, who was not retained by the Mumbai Indians, had been one of the mainstays of the Mumbai side for quite a while. But the all-rounder missed out on a berth after a below par performance in the ICC T20 World Cup last year. Plagued with injuries, Hardik is not a part of the Indian team currently and it will be interesting to see if he will return to bowling duties for his new franchise.
After spending five seasons with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rashid Khan moved on to a new franchise. One of the stars in the shorter format, the Afghan spinner had been the backbone of Sunrisers' bowling department for several years now. India batter Shubman Gill, too, had a successful stint with Kolkata Knight Riders and it will be a new challenge for him to do justice to his price tag.
The franchise has appointed Vikram Solanki as Director of Cricket, while Gary Kirsten will serve as the batting coach and mentor of the Ahmedabad franchise. Ashish Nehra has been appointed as the head coach.
Talking to official broadcaster Star Sports , Kirsten said that he is looking forward to working with Hardik, the captain.
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