Gujarat Titans had ‘worst performance’ in IPL 2022 auction but ended up winning title: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Gujarat Titans had the “worst performance” during the IPL 2022 auction but ended up winning the title.

UPDATED: Mar 30, 2023 22:18 IST

Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans won the IPL 2022. (Photo: BCCI/PTI)

By India Today Sports Desk: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Gujarat Titans had the “worst performance” during the IPL 2022 and still managed to win the title.

Hardik Pandya-led Titans clinched the IPL trophy in their maiden season, when the tournament was extended to a 10-team event.

The Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The upcoming 2023 season will kick start with GT hosting the four-time winners CSK in the curtain-raiser in Ahemdabad.

“They had the worst performance in the IPL 2022 auction but ended up winning the title. There were huge gambles they played,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports.

Manjrekar pointed out that GT played a gamble and made Pandya, who was released by Mumbai Indians, as their captain. The former India cricketer added that nobody had imagined that Pandya would turn out to be a “brilliant” leader. Pandya’s success at GT fetched him the honour to lead India in T20Is.

“Take the decision of appointing Hardik Pandya as the captain for that matter. Who’d have imagined he’d become such a brilliant captain? David Miller, a long-term flop show in the IPL, suddenly had the best season and he carried that form into his international career,” he said.

Manjrekar also said that the Titans are “built and supported by realists”. He added that he expects GT to carry the same confidence in the 2023 season.

“So, it’s a team built and supported by realists. So they are going to adjust fine and win games and I expect them to carry the same kind of confidence they had last season. The team hasn’t changed that much from the previous season.”

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Published On:

Mar 30, 2023

Source: www.indiatoday.in