IPL 2022: Ahmedabad franchise will be led by Hardik Pandya

The Ahmedabad IPL franchise, which will compete in the Indian Premier League for the first time in 2022, has named famous all-rounder Hardik Pandya as captain. Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill, the franchise’s other two draft selections, will join him.

Hardik, who was released by the Mumbai Indians earlier last year, had been a core of the team since his debut. This is a major chance and responsibility for Hardik, who is now out of the Indian team following a poor performance in last year’s ICC T20 World Cup. Hardik and Rashid were both selected for Rs 15 crore, while Shubman was signed for Rs 8 crore. Hardik and Rashid will be playing together in the IPL for the first time. The all-rounder previously played for Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions.

Hardik was selected by the Mumbai Indians for INR 10 lakhs as an uncapped player in 2015. Mumbai retained him for the 2018 season, paying him INR 11 crores, owing to his remarkable rise in international cricket as a formidable all-round option. Hardik scored 1476 runs at a strike rate of 153.91 and took 42 wickets at a strike rate of 20.69 during his seven-year tenure with the franchise.

Hardik did not bowl a single over last season, and his batting statistics have dropped, which was the key reason for Mumbai’s decision not to keep him for the tournament’s 15th season. Because of his fitness issues, India’s management is considering other choices for the upcoming World Cups, with Hardik attempting to recover from a long-term back problem.

For several years, Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has been the backbone of Sunrisers Hyderabad's bowling attack, and he is unquestionably one of the most popular players in franchise T20 leagues around the world. Following the retention announcement last month, one of the most talked-about topics was the Sunrisers’ decision not to keep Rashid. He signed with SRH for INR 4 crores in 2017 and was retained for INR 9 crores for the 2018 season. He took 93 wickets at an economy rate of 6.33 in 76 games with the franchise.

Shubman Gill is a brilliant Indian opener who was given a chance by Kolkata Knight Riders, and the former U-19 World Cup winner has rewarded the team’s faith with some impressive performances. KKR chose to keep Venkatesh Iyer instead of Gill because his performance last season wasn’t up to the mark. Iyer’s introduction in the second half of IPL 2021 propelled KKR to the final. This will be Gill’s second IPL franchise, after joining Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 auction for INR 1.8 crores. He scored 1417 runs at 31.48 in 58 matches for the team, including 10 half-centuries.