With two new franchises coming in, the buzz for IPL 2022 has well and truly begun. The auction is set to take place on 12th and 13th February in Bengaluru.
However, the two new teams get to pick three players each from the auction pool before entering the auction so as to ensure a level playing field for all the franchises.
According to reports, Hardik Pandya is set to lead the Ahmedabad franchise. Hardik, born and brought up in Gujarat, brings in the local flavour to the team. If indeed made captain, Hardik will be the face of the franchise and will help garner immense support for the franchise across Gujarat, and even the country.
However, Hardik has never captained an IPL side, playing under Rohit Sharma at the Mumbai Indians for all these years. It will be interesting to see if he has what it takes to lead a team at this level.
Will Hardik Pandya be able to bowl full-fledged ever?
Many pundits have also raised concerns about his consistency and reliability as a player having a direct effect on his captaincy. Pandya has been injury-prone for a couple of years now due to which he hasn’t been able to contribute with the ball. Add to that his lack of form with the bat, Hardik might have found it hard to keep his spot in the eleven, and making him captain is a big gamble at this stage.
Many also feel that being out of favour with the Indian team would serve as just the right motivation for him to prove his mettle as a player and a leader in the IPL, to eventually make his way back to the national team. It is a risk that Ahmedabad has decided to take, only time will tell if it pays off for them.
They have managed to bag Hardik’s services for 15 crores, with Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill being the other two picks at 15 crores and 7 crores respectively.
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