Although Torrent Group has taken over as the new owner of the Gujarat Titans, operations inside the franchise are continuing as usual. On and off the field, the same people continue to run the show, whether it’s because they don’t have time or because they don’t need to. Naturally, the Shubman Gill-led team is dominating the field in IPL 18.
“This was a long-run process that went on for almost six months and finally culminated in the successful transfer of majority stake to Torrent Group from CVC towards the middle of March. In all fairness, we have not yet sat down collectively with the new ownership as to how we want to function going ahead. But it is very obvious that GT will continue to function the way it has been functioning for the last three years. At the moment, there is no change, nothing,” said Arvinder Singh, the CEO.
“Let’s see once the season is over and we, hopefully, successfully, make it to the playoffs and more. And, you know, thereafter we will sit and see how we’re going to be working together with the new ownership. That is something that is yet to happen. I don’t foresee any major changes happening because people are very clear.”
One of the largest deals in IPL history was made when the Ahmedabad-based Torrent Group, managed by Jinal Mehta, purchased the franchise for an outrageous Rs 7,522 crore, obtaining a dominant 67% interest for Rs 5,035 crore. The franchise’s home ground, the Narendra Modi venue, which can hold 1.3 lakh spectators and is the biggest cricket venue in the world, is one factor contributing to its high price. It is difficult to fill such a colosseum, but the management is nonetheless committed to ‘customer pleasure’.
“Commonly, it is said that in India, it’s very difficult to get a good, proper stadium experience. But I will only urge people to visit our stadium and see whether that statement is true at all in Ahmedabad. We pride ourselves in what we do for the customers and for the fans who come and watch our games. And we try to ensure that everything is in place for them,” Singh says.
In its four seasons, the club has had some success on the field; they have won the championship once, placed second once, and are in the running for a postseason trip this year. With the exception of a brief two-season stint during which the Gujarat Lions were briefly onboarded in the IPL, Gujaratis had no regular representation in the league for the first 14 years. The management thinks that this success has won them the devotion of Gujaratis.
“It’s not just Gujaratis in India, it’s Gujaratis all over the world. Our clear thinking has been that yes, we are Gujarat Titans and we definitely want to have a Gujarati identity with us. There’s been clear thinking right from the very beginning as to what Gujarat Titans is going to mean to anybody. Even from a cultural perspective, we have always tried to put the fan ahead of anything else when it comes to anything GT,” Singh explains. “We don’t look at it from in to out but out to in.”
The GT official also makes it abundantly evident that Shubman Gill, who replaced Hardik Pandya, a State native, as captain, has been welcomed by the supporters. “The difference between this year and last year, when he was just getting started, is already apparent. Everyone is discussing how well he manages the events that take place on the field throughout the game. And, of course, off it too.
“These are very good signs. We all know that, I mean, Shubman is not somebody who is going to be restricted to leading only GT. He has got bigger things coming his way, as all of you know. So in all fairness, eventually it’s all going to be good for us as well as the franchise. We are very proud of the fact that Shubman is captaining this side. And he has come of age this year. It’s only going to keep getting better as we go along.”
