Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra is pleased with the “strong, all-round squad” of the franchise making their maiden appearance in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The former India pacer sat at the mega-auction alongside the South African great Gary Kirsten, who will play the role of a mentor and batting coach for the Gujarat team.

“Yeah, it’s not just Gujarat Titans, all the teams in IPL are all very close and good,” Nehra said when asked if the Titans have formed a strong squad.

“It’s about how well they click together, gel together. I have seen after the auctions this team looks the strongest but it doesn’t mean that the team will win the IPL. That never happens. It doesn’t work like that, sports doesn’t work that way,” he added.

The 2022 edition of IPL will be a 10-team competition with the addition of two new franchises in Gujarat and Lucknow. The Ahmedabad-based team will be led by India all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Besides skipper Hardik, the Gujarat Titans squad also includes eight more all-rounders, including Rahul Tewatia, who was roped in for a whopping INR 9 Crore.

“It is a new franchise and we have been able to put up a really good, all-round squad. When you talk about T20 format you need all-rounders and we have done that.

“We will try our level best to give the fans some really exciting cricket. The team has a combination of youngsters along with experience. We will play hard and play fair,” Nehra said.

The Gujarat Titans squad also features India opener Shubman Gill, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, England batter Jason Roy, Australia’s Matthew Wade, veteran India pacer Mohammad Shami and New Zealand speedster Lockie Fergusen.

(With PTI inputs)