"Kem chho Gujarat?" - Kane Williamson reacts after GT sign him at IPL 2023 Auction

Kane Williamson has joined the Gujarat Titans (GT) ahead of the IPL 2023 season. The defending champions roped in the New Zealand team captain at his base price of ₹2 crore at the IPL 2023 Auction earlier today.

Williamson was the skipper of the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) team in IPL 2022. SRH retained him as their number one player before the mega auction. However, the Kiwi player could not justify his enormous price tag of ₹14 crore.

He played 13 matches for the Orange Army, scoring 216 runs at a strike rate of 93.51. His batting average was less than 20 last season. As a result, Williamson received only one bid at the IPL 2023 Auction.

In a special video posted by GT after the IPL 2023 Auction, the New Zealand captain said:

"Kem chho Gujarat? (How are you Gujarat) Kane Williamson here. Feels great to join the family at the Gujarat Titans. Looking forward to the up and coming season. Aava De."

Where will Kane Williamson bat for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023?

Gujarat Titans dominated the previous IPL season. They topped the points table in the league stage and progressed to the playoffs. GT defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 1 to advance to the final. The Ahmedabad-based franchise beat RR again in the final to win their maiden IPL championship.

Heading into the IPL 2023 Auction, the Gujarat Titans needed a young wicket-keeper batter, a proper number three batter and a few more names in their pace attack. They roped in KS Bharat for the wicket-keeper's role, and it looks like Kane Williamson will be their number three batter.

Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha should continue opening the innings, with Williamson, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan forming the rest of the batting lineup.

It remains to be seen how Williamson performs for his second franchise.