IPL 2024: Shubman Gill unveiled as Gujarat Titans captain

In an expected turn of events after Hardik Pandya's departure to Mumbai Indians, ace batter Shubman Gill has been announced as the captain of Gujarat Titans for the upcoming 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League. India's batting sensation will be seen donning the captain's hat for the first time on the big stage. However, he has captained his state side Punjab in domestic cricket in the past.

Players like Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan were also among the frontrunners after Pandya's ouster. However, Gill's announcement was expected from a future perspective.

And the decision was rightly called for. Gill has quickly risen through the ranks with solid and impeccable performances in the recent past, courtesy of which he earned the leadership jersey for the Ahmedabad-based franchise.

Speaking of the Punjab-born batter's performances for the Titans, he aggregated 1,373 runs in 33 matches he has played so far. In fact, in 2023, he became the highest run-scorer of the tournament with 890 runs in 17 matches. He earned the Orange Cap for this feat, which was also the second-most runs garnered by a player in the tournament's history, only behind Virat Kohli's 973 runs in the 2016 edition. Gill was pivotal in taking the team to the final of the cash-rich league in the 2023 edition.

Coming back to Hardik's trade with Mumbai Indians, the Baroda cricketer has returned to the franchise he earned four titles with. Notably, the all-rounder earned INR 15 crore and an undisclosed amount from the Reliance-owned franchise. Additionally, he will also be entitled to an undisclosed fee from the transferor franchise, the details of which may not be revealed.

In related news, the five-time champion side traded Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore for a cash-exclusive deal. The star all-rounder's salary for RCB will be the same as his last salary for MI, which sums up to INR 17.5 crore. The deal was reported across various media houses on the final retention day, however, IPL officials confirmed the reports with an advisory on Monday, November 27.