GT likely to go for a finisher in IPL auction: Team owner

Gujarat Titans, with a limited purse of Only Rs 12.90 crore, may go looking for a finisher as the rest of the squad looks well-balanced, like has always been.Gujarat Titans owner Jinal Mehta is excited about the upcoming season. In Ashish Nehra and the rest of the coaching staff, he sees a unit worthy of keeping the momentum going.

“Ashish has been with Gujarat Titans since the very beginning and has been instrumental in shaping the culture and direction of the team. His and the coaching staff’s consistency have helped build a strong, united group; the success we’ve achieved in a short span is reflective of this. We’re confident the franchise will continue to perform under him," Mehta told TOI.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!He's not too worried about the franchise's limited purse at the auction either.

“Our purse position at the auction reflects the fact that we have been able to retain the core of our squad, which was a key priority for us. With only a few available slots to fill, we go into the auction with confidence in the group we already have; and will look to make additions that best complement group. We believe in building sustainably and making decisions that strengthen the team in the long term," he says.One of cricket’s most beloved cities — Ahmedabad — has been the setting for several iconic moments: Kapil Dev breaking Richard Hadlee’s record, Sunil Gavaskar reaching 10,000 Test runs, and Sachin Tendulkar becoming the first player to score 30 international centuries.

Yet, for a city so deeply connected with the game, it took the longest time for an IPL franchise to finally call it home."Ahmedabad has been a very important center for cricket. And it's, it's kind of strange why it took so long for Gujarat to have a team. But finally, we have a team, it's been four years since Gujarat Titans has been a franchise in the IPL," says Mehta. "And it's, it's remarkable how in these four years, Gujarat Titans has emerged as one of the finest IPL teams and one which has been very successful in the four years so far.

I think Gujarati fans have really been yearning for the IPL team forever. And in 2022, and sorry, in 2021, when Gujarat finally had a IPL team, the fan base really caught on to the IPL team," he adds. When coaxed about what is it like for an accomplished businessman to run a sports business, Mehta says, " It is unlike any other business for sure."

"Running a franchise is very different to running any other business. Of course, there are common elements in terms of creating a team, empowering your team, bringing the right set of leaders into your team.

But there's a lot more beyond just the business element in the IPL or any franchise."And I think the key is really the passion. So unless you have a passion for the sport, you're going to see it only as a business. And when you see it only as a business, I think it's a franchise will not meet the expectations of the fan base or the players if you see purely as a business."So there's a lot of emotion, a lot of passion that walks in into the business. And at Torrent, we see ourselves as the custodians of Gujarat Titans and the legacy of Gujarat Titans."