IPL 2022: New Ahmedabad Franchise Named As Gujarat Titans

The new Ahmedabad franchise of the (Indian Premier League) IPL has been named as the Gujarat Titans. The announcement was made during the pre-match show on Star Sports ahead of the 2nd India vs West Indies ODI in Ahmedabad. The Gujarat Titans will be led by India all-rounder Hardik Pandya while former India pacer Ashish Nehra has been named as the head coach of the side. The Ahmedabad Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants are the two new teams set to join the already existing 8 franchises in the IPL. All 10 teams will be aiming to build a strong team in the mega auction set to take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. Apart from Hardik Pandya, the other two players picked by the franchise from the draft ahead of the mega auction are Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.

The franchise, owned by private equity firm CVC Capital said the name was chosen to pay tribute to the state's rich cricketing legacy.

“Debuting in the 15th season of the IPL, the Gujarat Titans will pay tribute to the state's rich cricketing legacy, which has seen it produce countless Indian international cricket legends over the years,” the franchise said in statement on Wednesday.

"The franchise is inspired by the opportunity to represent and build on this deep cricketing heritage, as well as build on its future success on the pitch." Siddharth Patel, a representative of the franchise, said. "We want this group to achieve great things for Gujarat and its many passionate fans, which is why we have chosen the name ‘Titans'," he added.

The franchise has named former England batter Vikram Solanki as director of cricket, while World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten has been appointed as the team mentor and batting coach.

“As we approach the league's mega auction,