Gujarat Titans made some decent buys at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2026 on Wednesday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Jason Holder was their most expensive pick at Rs 7 crore, while the rest of their buys were Ashok Sharma, Tom Banton, Luke Wood, and Prithvi Raj Yarra. With Glenn Phillips and Washington Sundar already in the line-up, Banton's pick only gave them more options in the middle-order. When asked which player would be preferred to bat at number four, GT Assistant coach Parthiv Patel stated all three players are in contention and will play as per the conditions on offer.
He also noted that when they pick a certain player at the auction, they always plan to keep him in the XI, but maintained his stance that the conditions will play a role in their selection in the playing XI. "So basically, when we pick a team, it's in our mind that whichever player comes in, he should fit in our team and be ready to play in the eleven.
"So obviously, the way the pitch conditions will be, 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. But we have the luxury that we have such players who can play at any number anywhere," Parthiv said while responding to a question from India TV during the media interaction after the IPL auction.
Why did GT pick Tom Banton and not Jamie Smith?
It was surprising to see no franchise bidding for Jamie Smith, who is known to play aggressive cricket and showcased his skills during the Test series against India earlier this year. It was also equally surprising that the Titans went with Banton but not Smith. Opening up on the matter, Parthiv Patel said that they preferred Banton's experience of playing in IPL before led to them going for the wicketkeeper-batter.
"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 is doing well in international cricket. So that's why we had to choose one out of the two.
"But for that, we were very sure before in the way we were thinking, and that's why we took Tom Banton in the team. He brings a lot of value in terms of experience and batting at any number. Also, he is someone who can bat from the top till wherever we want," Patel added.
