As the dates to finalise the draft picks for the two new Indian Premier League franchises nears, it appears that Ahmedabad have made up their minds.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Hardik Pandya will be picked by the Ahmedabad-based IPL team as their new captain. CVC Capital Partners which brought the Ahmedabad team zeroed down on Hardik keeping in mind his success story with Mumbai Indians.
Pandya was picked up by Mumbai for just Rs 10 lakh in 2015 but ended up as a key contributor to the team's success with 4 IPL titles to his credit.
Also read: After Joe Root, star all-rounder Ben Stokes pulls out of the IPL auction
Meanwhile, according to the same report, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan will be the 2nd pick by Team Ahmedabad owing to his massive success with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past. The champion spinner had been a consistent match-winner in T20 cricket in leagues across the world and is likely to be paid the same amount of Rs 15 crore as Hardik Pandya.
The third and final pick for Ahmedabad is likely to be Shubman Gill with a price of Rs 7 crore. The former Kolkata Knight Rider's player is seen as a powerhouse of talent but is yet to set the IPL stage on fire.
With Vikram Solanki as Team Director, Gary Kirsten as the head coach and Ashish Nehra as the bowling coach, the Ahmedabad team has a very organised and experienced backroom support staff for IPL 2022.
Also Read: IPL Auction 2022 LIVE Updates