Ravindra Jadeja
When it was announced that Rajkot was going to be one of the two new franchises, all eyes turned to Ravindra Jadeja. And it was no surprise to see that the hometown favourite was picked by the Gujarat Lions franchise. Given half the matches will be played in Rajkot, a surface that affords plenty of assistance to the spinners, Jadeja will not only be handy in those games, but crucial to the new franchise's chances of doing well in the tournament.
Although his batting hasn't developed as much as he would have wanted. Coming in at No.7, he can still strike a few lusty blows and add to the total without too much fuss. His bullet arm and ability to make incredibly difficult catches look mundane will be another facet of his that will come in handy for the Lions.
Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, including live scores, match schedules, points table & squad details for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT & PBKS