Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz as Jason Roy's replacement for upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2022). Roy had pulled out of the tournament due to bubble fatigue and the need to spend time with his family.
“Rahmanullah Gurbaz is one of the promising young batters to emerge from Afghanistan and we believe he is an ideal replacement for Jason. Gurbaz is an attacking batter and fits into our plans for the Gujarat Titans. He has given a good account of his talent in international cricket and a few tournaments around the globe.” said Gujarat-based franchise’s Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki.
Solanki expressed his disappointment over Roy not being able to participate in the franchise’s maiden IPL season. However, he wished the English opener well.
“Whilst it is disappointing that Jason will not be a part of our campaign this year, we are mindful of the health and well-being of players in these times. We wish Jason well and look forward to his return to the field,” Solanki added.
The 20-year-old opener had a base price of Rs 50 lakh in the IPL 2022 mega auction but went unsold. On the other hand, Roy's services were acquired for his base price of Rs 2 crore.
The wicketkeeper-batter is known for his big-hitting in franchise cricket and on the international stage. He has 1,620 runs from 68 innings to his name at an average of 24.17 in the T20 format including 10 half-centuries. His strike rate of 151.82 has been mighty impressive.
In the T20Is, he has played 20 games and scored 534 runs at an average of 26.70 including three half-centuries. So far, he has hit 113 sixes in his T20 career.
The Hardik Pandya-led GT will play their first match against another new franchise, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) led by former Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper KL Rahul. The maiden fixture for both the franchises will be played at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on March 28.
