“We are privileged to be able to have Kane Williamson, and also at a base price” – Ashish Nehra Sport-rated

Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra has said that they are privileged to acquire the services of New Zealand’s white ball captain. kane williamson at its base price of INR 2 crores in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) mini-auction.

Defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) released just 6 players, including 2, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Lockie Ferguson, who were traded to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), ahead of the mini-auction. They had 18 players on the squad, of which 5 were foreigners.

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Gujarat Titans (GT) entered the mini-auction with a healthy purse of INR 19.25 crore to spend on a maximum of 7 players including 3 overseas. They bought Kane Williamson, Odean Smith, Shivam Mavi, Joshua Little, KS Bharat, Mohit Sharma and Urvil Patel in the mini-auction.

Speaking in a media interaction in Kochi, Ashish Nehra praised Williamson, saying that he is a proven player and brings a lot to the table.

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“Someone like Williamson will bring a lot of experience. He is a proven player, he did not have a couple of good seasons in the IPL, but the IPL is so fast that it takes very little time for thinking and perception to change. For us, if he had gone for much more, we would still have gone for Kane Williamson.

“We believe in that player and we wanted to have that mix of experience and youth. Kane brings a lot to the table for any team. We are privileged to be able to have it, and on top of that at a base price,” Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra said in a media interaction in Kochi, as quoted by News18.

The Gujarat Titans head coach added that Kane Williamson is likely to bat as the No. 3 in the playing XI in next year’s tournament.

“We are talking about someone like Sai Sudarshan who is young and has time. And the presence of Kane Williamson will only help him. Even last year, Sai Sudarshan did not play every game. Imagine how much Sai would gain with Kane Williamson around him. Har player ka time aata hai… there are other young players but then again there is no choice but to wait for your chance,” Nehra was quoted as saying by News18.

If Kane Williamson was there, he would hit at No. 3 and Hardik would hit at No. 4 – Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra was also asked if Hardik Pandya will play the role of finisher, unlike last year, in the presence of Williamson in the team. He answered:

“Hardik Pandya last year also batted at No.4. I think he only once hit at No.3. If Kane Williamson were there, he would hit at No. 3 and Hardik would hit at No. 4. But again, these calls would be better closer to the season. And it’s not that the people who hit higher in the order can’t finish games. Even a starter can be your finisher if he hits well all the way.”

He further said that the acquisition of Kane Williamson at INR 2 crore helped them bring in Shivam Mavi (INR 6 crore) and Joshua Little (INR 4.4 crore) in the mini-auction.

“The price we got Kane at allowed us to pick both (Mavi and Little) as closers. It is a short auction and when you talk about supply and demand, Shivam Mavi was among the top three bowlers. Another was Mukesh Kumar, who has also left for good money. Mavi is a good athlete and he is a youngster and from where we are now we will give him a good chance and help him out. And if he does well, he will also be good for Indian cricket. We look forward to working with Joshua Little and Shivam Mavi,” Nehra said.

Also Read: IPL Auction 2023: KS Bharat Purchased By Gujarat Titans (GT) For Rs 1.20 Crore

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