IPL 2023: 5 Players Gujarat Titans might release ahead of mini-auction

Gujarat Titans (GT) scripted history in their debut season of the Indian Premier League. They entered the marquee tournament under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, a player who had never captained a major side at any competitive level. Not many rated them as title contenders but they proved their critics wrong.

Hardik Pandya & co. won games that looked seemingly unwinnable, showed incredible teamwork, and had different players delivering for them on different occasions. They bossed the group stage with ten wins in 14 games and then went on clinch the title by defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final. 

Now, with an eye on defending their crown next season, Titans might look to release players who do not fit into their scheme of things going forward and the mini-auction could be used to fill up the vacated spots with top-quality personnel. Let us look at the players Gujarat Titans might release ahead of the forthcoming auction:

5. Gurkeerat Singh Mann

Gurkeerat Singh Mann made his IPL debut in 2012 for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and caught everyone’s attention with his blistering cameos. The Punjab batter smashed 86 runs in five games at an exceptional strike rate of 165.38 during his inaugural season. He has been a regular feature in the marquee tournament since then but has not been able to create a significant impact.

The 32-year-old had a promising campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021-22 which saw him aggregate 156 runs in five games at a strike rate of 127.86. Gujarat Titans roped in Gurkeerat for the 2022 season to bolster their Indian batting core. However, he did not get an opportunity to show his batting prowess.

The Gujarat franchise also had the likes of Abhinav Manohar and Sai Sudharsan in their ranks to slot in the middle-order role. The think tank gave Abhinav and Sudharsan a fair run in the batting line-up and the duo impressed in its outings for the franchise.

It is likely that GT will stick with them (Abhinav and Sudharsan) in the following seasons and this could mean Gurkeerat might not get an opportunity going ahead as well. Thus, the defending champions might look to part ways with the Punjab-born in the build-up to the next season.