Gujarat Titans on Monday named Shubman Gill as captain to lead the team ahead of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after Hardik Pandya has quit the franchise to return to Mumbai Indians. Vikram Solanki, Director of Cricket, Gujarat Titans, said: “Shubman Gill has shown growth in stature and standing over the last two years at the highest level of the game. We’ve seen him mature not only as a batter but also as a leader in cricket. His contribution on the field has helped Gujarat Titans emerge as a formidable force, guiding the team through a successful campaign in 2022 and a strong run in 2023. His maturity and skill is evident in his on-field performance and we are extremely excited to embark on a new journey with a young leader like Shubman at the helm.”
Shubman Gill said on the announcement:" “I am delighted and proud to assume the captaincy of Gujarat Titans and thank the franchise for their trust in me to lead such a fine team. We have had two exceptional seasons and I keenly look forward to leading the team with our exciting brand of cricket.”
Pandya had joined Gujarat Titans as their captain in 2022 and led them to title in the maiden season itself, besides guiding them to the IPL 2023 final, where they lost to the Chennai Super Kings.
Pandya rejoins Mumbai Indians, ending his two-year association with the Titans ahead of the IPL 2024.
"Seeing Hardik back at Mumbai Indians makes me very happy. It is a happy homecoming. He provides great balance to any team he plays. Hardik’s first stint with the MI family was hugely successful, and we hope he achieves even more success in his second stint," said Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries-owned Jio Infocomm.
The Mumbai side named Rohit Sharma as their captain for IPL 2024, England pacer Jofra Archer has been released. Archer is still recuperating from an elbow surgery.
Gujarat Titans: Retained: Shubman Gill (Captain) David Miller, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, B Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Josh Little, Mohit Sharma.
Released: Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Pradeep Sangwan, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Dasun Shanaka.
Mumbai Indians: Retained: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Dewald Brevis, SKY, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason Behrendorff, Romario Shepherd (trade).
Released: Arshad Khan, Cameron Green, Ramandeep Singh, Hrithik Shokeen, Raghav Goyal, Jofra Archer, Tristan Stubbs, Duan Jansen, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Chris Jordan, Sandeep Warrier.