IPL 2025: Why Gujarat Titans didn't retain Mohammed Shami
Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has opened up on the team's decision to not retain star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. Shami, who missed IPL 2024, was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping ₹10 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Although they had the option to match this bid and keep Shami on their side, Gujarat Titans opted against exercising this right.
Nehra reveals retention plans for Shami
Nehra revealed Shami was initially in their retention plans. But since the team had already retained a few key players, they had to rethink. The decision to not use their RTM card for Shami was affected by the management's opinion that ₹10 crore was a steep price for him. "Whatever he has done for GT and for India, I mean he was part of our retention (plans) also," Nehra said.
Nehra acknowledges Shami's contributions to Gujarat Titans
Nehra said he loved Shami's performance for the last two years with the Titans. He admitted that not all plans work out, particularly in an open auction situation. "It doesn't matter whatever strategy you have, when it comes to open auction, your strategy is not going to be successful all the time," he added. Nevertheless, Nehra said Shami's contributions for GT will always be cherished.
Shami's journey in the IPL 2025 mega auction
In the 2025 IPL mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders started the bidding for Shami, with Chennai Super Kings soon following suit. The bid soared to ₹8.25 crore in no time before Chennai pulled out. Lucknow Super Giants then entered the battle, taking the bid to ₹9.75 crore before exiting. Eventually, the Orange Army bagged Shami for a final bid of ₹10 crore after Gujarat Titans opted against using their RTM option.
Shami was sensational for GT
Despite his injury, Shami's experience and skill as a seam bowler who can swing the ball both ways on challenging tracks, makes him a valuable asset. Shami was in sensational form for GT in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He scalped 48 wickets across 33 matches for the franchise at 21.04. With 28 scalps at 18.64, he was the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2023.
