The Ahmedabad Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise on predictable lines have signed Hardik Pandya and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan but preferred young India opener Shubman Gill for the upcoming season of IPL 2022.


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News agency PTI was the first to report on January 10 that Pandya is all set to captain the Ahmedabad franchise for the season and they have also finalised Rashid Khan, who otherwise would have gone for a ‘bomb’ at the auctions. However, their third choice Ishan Kishan didn’t work out and they zeroed in on Gill, who could also be seen as a potential captaincy candidate.


“Ahmedabad has decided on its players and accordingly informed the BCCI about their draft picks. Hardik, Rashid and Shubman are the three choices,” a senior IPL official told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity.


“They wanted Ishan Kishan badly but it is understood that Ishan is more interested in going back to the auction and there is a high chance that MI might buy him at a premium price.”



Meanwhile, there are also reports coming in that former Indian seamer Ashish Nehra is likely to come on board as the head coach of the Ahmedabad franchise. Nehra, who retired from international cricket in 2017, had previously worked with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as their assistant coach.


CVC was one of two companies to have won bids to own the two new franchises that will play in the IPL from next season. There was a delay in CVC getting the Letter of Intent from the BCCI as the company had come under the scanner over its alleged ties to betting companies after it won the Ahmedabad franchise in the auction that was held in Dubai in October last year.


The new teams have been given time until January 22 by the BCCI to pick three players of their choice before the auction.


(with PTI inputs)