"I don't think they have plugged the hole that Hardik Pandya has left by any stretch of the imagination"

Simon Doull reckons the Gujarat Titans (GT) couldn't find a suitable replacement for Hardik Pandya at the IPL 2024 auction.

The Titans traded Pandya to the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the auction. They spent ₹30.30 crore to acquire eight players at the auction but lost the bids for two big-ticket names in Mitchell Starc and Harshal Patel to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) respectively.

Reviewing the auction on Star Sports, Doull was asked whether the Gujarat Titans were able to plug the holes they had heading into the auction, to which he replied:

"I don't think they have plugged the hole that Hardik Pandya has left by any stretch of the imagination. But they have gone to Kartik Tyagi, so they have got some local bowling, which is what they needed - Umesh Yadav and Kartik Tyagi in particular."

The former New Zealand seamer feels Spencer Johnson and Azmatullah Omarzai are good acquisitions for the Ahmedabad-based franchise. He elaborated:

"Spencer Johnson was an interesting one for me. I like him. I think he is a very, very good cricketer. Moods (Tom Moody) knows a lot about him. He was obviously with Moods at the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred. If you want an overseas all-rounder to fit into your side, Azmatullah Omarzai is an absolute steal at 50 lakhs."

The Titans bought Johnson for ₹10 crore after they failed to acquire Starc's services. Azmatullah Omarzai's acquisition for ₹50 lakh added to GT's Afghanistan contingent, with Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad already in their mix.

"I felt they tried to replace Hardik Pandya through that vehicle of the Impact Player" - Tom Moody on the Gujarat Titans buying Umesh Yadav and Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan was the Gujarat Titans' costliest Indian buy at the IPL 2024 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Tom Moody opined that the Gujarat Titans tried to find a replacement for Hardik Pandya through the combined skills of two players. He explained:

"I thought their auction was really interesting. I felt they tried to replace Hardik Pandya through using that vehicle of the Impact Player. The way I think they have looked at it is Umesh Yadav is the bowling overs that Hardik Pandya provided the team."

The former Australian all-rounder reckons Umesh Yadav and Shahrukh Khan can together perform Pandya's role. He said:

"You may not get four out of him but he can provide some overs and then you have got Shahrukh Khan, who can bat down the order at No. 5 or No. 6, probably more so No. 6, and be more of a finisher."

The Titans bought Umesh for ₹5.80 crore and subsequently added Sushant Mishra and Kartik Tyagi as Indian seam-bowling options. Shahrukh was acquired for ₹7.40 crore, and they completed their 25-member squad by purchasing Robin Minz for ₹3.60 crore.