Gujarat Titans’ (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel believes that the franchise have given themselves strong and flexible options after the IPL 2026 auction. He also explained why the crucial No. 4 spot is not decided yet and how the batting line-up will depend on the match and pitch conditions.
Talking about team selection, Patel said that they purchased players with the intention of adding them to the playing XI. “So basically, when we pick a team, it’s in our mind that whichever player comes in, he should fit into our team and be ready to play in the eleven,” Patel said while responding to a question from India TV after the IPL auction.
Patel further highlighted that match conditions will decide who bats at which position. “So obviously, the way the pitch conditions are, the way we feel on the ground and in the nets, we will decide according to that. But whether it’s Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, or Tom Banton, who we took in the auction, no player is out of consideration. We have the luxury of having players who can bat at any number, anywhere,” Patel said.
He also explained why GT picked Tom Banton over Jamie Smith. “No, it’s not that we don’t have any interest. Obviously, Tom Banton and Jamie Smith have almost the same kind of skill set. But Tom Banton has more experience. He has played in the IPL before,” he said. Patel added, “He brings a lot of value in terms of experience and batting at any number.”
GT have now added Ashok Sharma (Rs 90 lakh), Jason Holder (Rs 7 crore), Tom Banton (Rs 2 crore), Prithvi Raj (Rs 30 lakh), and Luke Wood (Rs 75 lakh) to their squad.
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