Gujarat Titans Soar at Kite Festival, Nehra Praises IPL Auction Strategy

Fans were seen enjoying the custom-designed Gujarat Titans kite flying high over the festival grounds, collecting GT-branded kites, taking part in fun interactive activities, and clicking photos at the life-size installation. The three-day celebration continues till January 14.

Meanwhile, GT head coach Ashish Nehra expressed satisfaction after the franchise's outing at the Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction on Tuesday. The 2022 IPL champions, Gujarat Titans, entered the mini-auction with a budget of Rs 12.9 crore.

Gujarat Titans had a relatively subdued auction compared to some of the other franchises, such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. GT picked five players on the day: 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).

GT's first pick was Ashok Sharma, a fast bowler who had been the leading wicket-taker in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Gujarat Titans also secured the services of star West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder. While Chennai Super Kings showed interest and made the opening bid, Gujarat ultimately won the contest, shelling out a hefty Rs 7 crore for the player.

Commenting on the auction, Ashish Nehra expressed satisfaction with the team's strategy, highlighting that they retained 20 players and focused on strengthening their pace attack by securing four fast bowlers, addressing a key need for the hot April-May season.

"Overall, we are very happy. We retained 20 players. So, it was a small auction. Most importantly, I'm very happy that we got four fast bowlers. In the months of April and May, it's so hot. People look for net bowlers also, and fast bowlers are always short," Nehra said in a video posted by the Gujarat Titans on their social media.

Nehra also expressed satisfaction after securing the services of Jason Holder and the English wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton, noting Holder's leadership skills and Banton's big-hitting skills.

"So, pretty much, we got what we wanted. And the first half was quiet. But in the second half, we were pretty happy. No doubt about it. We always knew that Jason was going to go for a little bit of money. As Jason, or somebody like Livingstone, he went unsold, and then he got so big. But coming back to Jason Holder, we are really happy with his experience and leadership skills; he is a great addition," Nehra added.

"Tom Banton and even somebody like Jason Holder can also hit big. So, he can also bat. And then Jason, Tom Banton, who has also been around the English team. And we are very happy we could keep a batsman. We already had somebody like Jos Butler or Anuj Rawat. But still, you always need more and more players. And here you are talking about a squad of 25," Nehra concluded.

- ANI