New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Gujarat Titans (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel expressed satisfaction on securing the services of uncapped pacers Ashok Sharma and Prithvi Raj Yarra in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Auction in Abu Dhabi, saying the duo bolsters their fast-bowling resources in unique ways.

Sharma is leading the wicket-taking charts of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 22 wickets in ten games for Rajasthan, while Yarra picked 12 wickets in nine matches for Andhra. The duo’s acquisition by GT at the auction in Abu Dhabi is a smart addition to an already rich arsenal of GT’s fast bowlers, featuring the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, and Kagiso Rabada.

“See, basically, for Ashok Sharma, we all thought that the way the Indian uncapped pace bowlers were bowling, they were very impressive in their bowling this time. Because we were watching the matches, we saw that he also took a lot of matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year, especially with the pace he was bowling,” said Parthiv while responding to an IANS query in the post-auction press conference.

“So it was in our minds that we wanted an uncapped fast bowler to come to the team. Because of that, we are happy that a young fast bowler has come to our team. The same situation was that Prithvi Raj Yarra had also been playing first-class cricket for a long time and had an injury in between.

“But the way he is bowling this time, especially bringing us a variation of a lefty bowler, and because of this, the way we see domestic players, we thought that these two are very impressive bowlers. We are very happy that we were able to bring them to our team,” said Patel.

GT’s headline purchase at the auction was West Indies fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder, who is set to vie with Glenn Phillips for a place in the starting eleven. Seeking to bolster their overseas contingent, GT aggressively pursued Holder and eventually got him for Rs 7 crore after a prolonged tussle with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Patel stated that Holder had always been their first-choice target in auction planning, adding that the team’s style of play and overall composition demanded the presence of a seasoned all-rounder, making him a natural fit.

“See, we’ve tracked Jason Holder for the last one and a half years. He’s been outstanding in T20 cricket. Wherever he has played in all the leagues, he’s been brilliant. Also, GT’s philosophy is that we always look at the experienced player. We all know how experienced Jason Holder is. He’s been around for years, and obviously, an all-rounder is always an asset, and that is the reason why we’ve gone ahead with Jason Holder,” he added.

The addition of England pacer Luke Wood for Rs 75 lakh also boosted GT’s overseas pace bowling options, after the franchise missed out on buying Australian pacer Ben Dwarshuis. “Basically, we needed a left-arm seamer who could swing the ball, and both of them are like that. The other thing is that when you go to the auction, it depends on which player comes first.

“There is no such choice that Ben Dwarshuis was our first choice, or Luke Wood was our first choice. It was the same that the player who came first, we would go with him because the dynamics of the auction were like that.

“So that’s why Rabada was a right-arm seamer, and we had all the other right-arm fast bowlers. So we were going towards that variation and needed a left-arm seamer, and that’s why we went to Luke Wood,” concluded Patel.

–IANS

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