Jaipur, May 10
Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel has revealed that the franchise made signing Jason Holder a top priority during the auction, crediting the experienced all-rounder's arrival for helping transform the team's balance and performances in the Indian Premier League 2026.
Holder once again played an important role during Gujarat's dominant 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday, finishing with impressive figures of 3-12 as Gujarat bowled Rajasthan out for 152 in 16.3 overs after posting 229/4.
Speaking after the match, Parthiv explained how highly Gujarat valued Holder during the auction planning process.
"When we were planning for the auction, we were okay with not getting any other player, but we were determined to get Jason Holder. We have seen how he has performed over the last 12 to 18 months in T20 cricket around the world. He is an experienced player and also brings leadership qualities with him,"Parthiv told Jio Hotstar.
Parthiv also revealed that Gujarat initially intended to utilise Glenn Phillips because of his strong form, but Holder's eventual inclusion proved crucial for the side.
"We wanted to utilise Glenn Phillips' form at the start, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. However, the inclusion of Holder at the right time has turned things around for us," he added.
Parthiv also highlighted Gujarat's extensive use of match-simulation sessions during practice, especially for middle-order batters who may not always spend enough time in the middle during games.
"Most of the conversations with the batters are about scenarios where the opposition bowlers could potentially target them and the kind of fields they could set for a particular batter," he said.
"We practise a lot, especially with the middle order, because they don't always get enough time in matches. We have our B ground, where we try to prepare them as much as possible by putting them in match scenarios," he added.
Gujarat delivered a complete all-round performance against Rajasthan, with captain Shubman Gill scoring 84 and Sai Sudharsan contributing 55 in a commanding total of 229/4. Rajasthan threatened briefly during a blistering powerplay led by teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but Gujarat's spin attack took control through Rashid Khan, who claimed 4-33.
Holder then wrapped up the innings efficiently with three late wickets to complete another convincing Gujarat victory that further strengthened their playoff push.
- IANS
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