“Loved the name. Shows our character” - Hardik Pandya reacts after Ahmedabad IPL franchise is named ‘Gujarat Titans’

Ahmedabad IPL franchise captain Hardik Pandya has said that he loves the name given to the team - Gujarat Titans. According to Pandya, the name shows the character of the side.

On Wednesday, the Ahmedabad franchise confirmed the name of their IPL team as 'Gujarat Titans'. Earlier reports claimed that the team would be known as ‘Ahmedabad Titans. Reacting to the name, Pandya told Star Sports during an interaction:

"It is a pretty amazing feeling to be honest, Loved the name. Shows our character. It means a lot to me. When I see the happiness, you know my family; they stay in Gujarat and the kind of pride I see in their eyes, that means a lot. Great opportunity for me as well. This is going to be a learning curve for me."

Siddharth Patel, a partner at CVC, the owner of the franchise added:

"We want this group to achieve great things for Gujarat and its many passionate fans, which is why we have chosen the name Titans. As we approach the league's mega auction, we are confident that we will be able to put together the right combination of players going into the new season. We want individuals that are not only highly skilled. but who are inspired to be Titans of the game.

Ahmedabad and Lucknow are the two new teams that will make their debut in IPL 2022. While the Ahmedabad franchise will be led by all-rounder Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul has been picked as captain of the Lucknow franchise.

Pandya was one of Ahmedabad’s draft picks at Rs 15 crore. The franchise also signed leg-spinner Rashid Khan for the same price, while Shubman Gill was purchased for Rs 8 crore. The Ahmedabad franchise is owned by CVC Capital Partners, which purchased the team for Rs 5,625 crore.

Pandya earlier represented Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL. The batting all-rounder was a key player for the league’s most successful franchise, but was not retained ahead of the mega auction. Rashid Khan, meanwhile, represented Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), while Gill was with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

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“You don’t have to be a captain to lead” - Hardik Pandya on leading Ahmedabad franchise

Speaking after being named the captain of the Ahmedabad franchise, Pandya expressed confidence of doing a good job despite his lack of captaincy experience. At a press interaction, he said:

“You don’t have to be a captain to lead. You lead in a lot of different ways. In my team, yes, I will be the captain, but everyone else will be also a leader in their own role. Whatever little opportunities or roles I've been given (in the past), I've always tried to embrace them, and learn something new out of them.”

Gujarat Titans are one of ten teams that will take part in the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.