IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans (GT) made a significant announcement on Monday, appointing India’s batsman Shubman Gill as the captain to lead the team into the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, following Hardik Pandya’s return to the Mumbai Indians (MI).
In a statement released by the Gujarat Titans, it was emphasized that Gill would lead a team boasting a blend of experience and youthful energy, a signature characteristic of the franchise.
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โ Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) November 27, 2023
With an impressive record, Gill has amassed 1373 runs in 33 innings at an average of 47.34, including three centuries and eight fifties. His stellar performance in the previous season, securing 890 runs in 17 matches at an average of 59.33 with three centuries and four fifties, earned him the prestigious Orange Cap.
Gill’s pivotal role in GT’s remarkable IPL journey was highlighted, particularly his extraordinary 129-run blitz against the Mumbai Indians, which set an IPL playoff record for the highest individual score by a batter. Expressing his enthusiasm, Gill stated, “I am thrilled and honored to lead the Gujarat Titans, and I am grateful to the franchise for entrusting me with this responsibility. We’ve had two exceptional seasons, and I eagerly anticipate leading the team with our dynamic style of cricket.”
Following their victorious debut season in 2022, GT reached the IPL finals in the subsequent season, finishing as runners-up to Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Notably, Gill’s three centuries in the last IPL season placed him among the league’s elite, with only Virat Kohli (2016) and Jos Buttler (2022) having scored more in a single IPL season, tallying four each.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, an integral part of GT’s journey, transitioned back to his initial franchise, the Mumbai Indians, after a trade between the two teams. Pandya played a pivotal role in GT’s inaugural championship-winning season in 2022 and their runner-up finish in the subsequent season, marking two memorable years with the franchise.