Franchises are actively preparing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, with the trade window set to close on December 12. Notably, Hardik Pandya has decided to rejoin the Mumbai Indians squad. His departure from the Gujarat Titans, despite winning the title in the first season and finishing as runners-up in 2023, has surprised many.
Following Hardik’s departure, the Gujarat Titans announced the appointment of Shubman Gill as the new captain. However, this decision has faced criticism, with experienced South African player AB de Villiers expressing the opinion that Gujarat made a mistake in making Gill the captain.
AB de Villiers Advocates for Kane Williamson over Shubman Gill: A Missed Opportunity?
AB de Villiers expressed his belief that Kane Williamson could have been a suitable choice for the captaincy after Hardik Pandya’s departure from the Gujarat Titans. According to the former player, Gujarat had the advantage of an experienced player like Williamson who had previously captained teams. De Villiers stated on his YouTube channel, “When I saw Williamson’s name among the players they retained, I thought it was a great opportunity to give the captaincy to an experienced player.”
Furthermore, AB de Villiers emphasized that Shubman Gill should have been given more time to solidify his position in all three formats of Indian cricket before being appointed as the captain. He suggested that Gujarat should allow Gill the time to establish himself across formats and have another successful season in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Shubman Gill was the highest scorer in the previous IPL season with 890 runs, including three centuries, playing a pivotal role in taking Gujarat Titans to the finals. Despite Gill’s individual success, AB de Villiers expressed concern that the decision to appoint him as the captain could potentially harm Gujarat Titans.
Crucial Moves: Gujarat Titans’ Retained and Released Players for IPL 2024
The players retained by Gujarat Titans include David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhiman Manohar, B Sai Sudarshan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammad Shani, Noor Ahmed, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, and Mohit Sharma.
On the other hand, players released by Gujarat Titans comprise Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Pradeep Sangwan, Odin Smith, Alzari Joseph, and Dasun Shanaka. The team’s dynamics have undergone changes with these retention and release decisions, and the impact of appointing Gill as the captain will be closely observed in the upcoming IPL season.
