Rahmanullah Gurbaz replaces Jason Roy at Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have recruited Rahmanullah Gurbaz in place of Jason Roy, who pulled out of the 2022 Indian Premier League last month.

The choice is not exactly a like-for-like replacement for the hard-hitting England opener but the Gujarat Titans management, Cricbuzz understands, has taken the decision keeping the current Wriddhiman Saha issue in mind. Saha is expected to be their first choice keeper but they wanted to have a back-up option so as not to be caught off-guard by an unexpected turn of events.

The Titans have another wicketkeeper, Matthew Wade, in their ranks but as Cricket Australia (CA) has already decreed, the contracted Australian players will not be playing in the IPL till April 6. The IPL starts on March 26 and Gujarat Titans play fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants in their first game on March 28.

Gurbaz has played in nine ODIs and 20 T20Is in a 14-month burgeoning career. He had a base price of Rs 50 lakh but went unsold at the two-day auction recently. On Wednesday (March 9), the BCCI confirmed Gurbaz's acquisition by Titans.

He will be joining compatriots Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad in the Gujarat team. He becomes the fifth Afghan in the league which also has Mohammad Nabi (Kolkata Knight Riders) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (Sunrisers Hyderabad) from the country.

Citing family reasons and bubble fatigue, Jason Roy withdrew from the IPL after being picked by the Ahmedabad franchise at the base price of Rs 2 crore. The matter has since become a hot topic of debate among the franchises, with an overwhelming view being that the overseas players should not be allowed to miss the league by the BCCI for reasons other than international commitments or fitness issues after one has enlisted his name for the auction.

** The copy was updated after the Titans confirmed the signing