"He is a perfect fit" - Irfan Pathan names an all-rounder Gujarat Titans can acquire at the IPL 2024 auction

Irfan Pathan recently said the Gujarat Titans (GT) could look to acquire Azmatullah Omarzai at the IPL 2024 auction. He feels the Afghanistan all-rounder would be a perfect fit as a replacement for Hardik Pandya.

The Titans traded out Hardik to the Mumbai Indians ahead of the auction. They released eight other players, including quite a few seamers - Shivam Mavi, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Alzarri Joseph and Odean Smith - as part of their retention process.

While previewing the auction on Star Sports, Pathan was asked about the players the Gujarat Titans could look to acquire, to which he responded:

"Looking at the Gujarat Titans, they are missing out on Hardik Pandya. Obviously, they are missing out on a leader and a guy who can actually do both (bat and ball) equally really well. Who is there at the auction table?"

The former India all-rounder added:

"I see Azmatullah Omarzai going to Gujarat Titans because he is a perfect fit. We have Rashid Khan there as well, who can actually get the best out of his countryman. Apart from an all-rounder, they require a proper fast bowler there. They need to go for that extra pace and they have a good purse available."

GT have an available purse of ₹38.15 crore, the most among all franchises. They can acquire a maximum of eight players and have two vacant overseas positions.

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"The Kane Williamson conundrum will haunt the Gujarat Titans" - Sanjay Manjrekar

Kane Williamson was ruled out of IPL 2023 after the first game.

Sanjay Manjrekar doesn't see Kane Williamson as one of the four overseas players in the Titans' first-choice playing XI. He explained:

"I am looking at the foreign players and that's why the Kane Williamson conundrum will haunt the Gujarat Titans. You have got David Miller, who has to play. You have got Rashid Khan, who has to play."

The former India batter added:

"Josh Little was I think very good and Noor Ahmad, who they used with the new ball and at the death as well. So there is going to be a struggle for Kane Williamson to get in and I would actually not get too excited with Kane Williamson because we are talking about T20 cricket."

Manjrekar opined that the IPL 2022 champions' batting is sorted, saying that he likes Abhinav Manohar and that Vijay Shankar had a fantastic run in the last season. While predicting that Matthew Wade is unlikely to get a game, the Mumbaikar concurred with Pathan's views that GT need an express pacer.