Gujarat Titans had a remarkable journey to the title in 2022 and came agonizingly close to defending their crown in 2023. However, their performance this season has been disappointing, as they failed to advance past the group stages after topping the group in the previous two years.
Missing Key Players
Many speculate that their decline could be attributed to several factors, including the departure of their captain, Hardik Pandya, and the absence of Mohammed Shami. Additionally, the inconsistent form of Shubman Gill, who played a pivotal role in their success last year, may have further exacerbated their struggles this season.
Gill’s form, in particular, had a significant impact on the team’s performance. While he started the season promisingly, with impressive performances in the initial games, his form dipped significantly midway through. Despite his century, his returns in the subsequent matches were below par compared to his stellar performances last year, where he showcased remarkable consistency and striking ability.
Inconsistent Top Order
The inconsistency in Gill’s performance had a ripple effect on Gujarat Titans’ top order, as they struggled notably in the powerplay overs, with a run rate of 7.23, the lowest among all teams. The absence of Wriddhiman Saha, who played a crucial role in providing quick starts last season, further compounded their batting woes.
Overall, the mixed performances of key players like Gill and Saha, coupled with the absence of Pandya and Shami, have contributed to Gujarat Titans’ disappointing campaign this season.
Saha’s absence in the game against CSK resulted in Sai Sudharsan opening the innings instead of his usual position at No. 3. While Sudharsan has been consistent in scoring runs this season, he has faced challenges in the powerplay, particularly against pace, evident from his strike rate of 114 in this phase, the lowest among batters with nine innings.
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Struggles in the Middle Order
However, Sudharsan showcased his potential in the win over CSK by scoring a remarkable 103 off 51 balls. Despite a slow start in the powerplay, where he was 28 off 23, he accelerated significantly during the middle overs, addressing another concern for GT, who were previously the slowest in this phase. This performance highlighted Sudharsan’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges, although he acknowledges that his powerplay game is a work in progress.
While Sudharsan has surpassed 500 runs this season, discussions will likely arise regarding his performance in the powerplay during GT’s post-mortem analysis.
In the absence of Hardik Pandya, who played a crucial role as a batter in the previous seasons, GT faced difficulties in the middle order. Pandya’s contributions, particularly at No. 4, helped absorb pressure and allowed other players like David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan to finish innings strongly. His absence meant GT struggled to find the right balance, impacting their overall performance.
Last season, Vijay Shankar contributed significantly in the middle order for Gujarat Titans, scoring 301 runs in ten innings. However, this season, he struggled for form and eventually lost his place in the team midway through. Shahrukh Khan, a high-profile auction pick, only joined the team when they were already facing a downturn in performance.
Azmatullah Omarzai, recruited as an all-rounder to provide balance, failed to make a significant impact with the bat, managing just 42 runs in four innings.
David Miller was given a more prominent role in the middle order but could only muster one half-century this season. His struggles, particularly during the middle overs where he struck at just 123, were evident. Similarly, Rahul Tewatia found it challenging to accelerate, with a strike rate of 77 in the middle phase of the innings.
Despite accumulating resources in the middle order, Gujarat Titans failed to finish strongly, ranking ninth in the death overs. Their batting performances across all phases of the game left their bowlers with a daunting task.
Injuries also played a role in the team’s imbalance. Robin Minz’s absence forced them to persist with Wriddhiman Saha as an opener, while his replacement, BR Sharath, featured in just one game. In total, Gujarat Titans utilized 23 players, the most by any team this season.
The absence of Mohammed Shami, who was a potent force last season with his hard length and seam movement, was keenly felt. Shami’s exceptional performance in the powerplay last year, with 17 wickets at an average of 19.41 and an economy rate of 7.5, was instrumental in Gujarat Titans’ success. However, his prolonged recovery from an ankle injury ruled him out for this season.
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A Closer Look at Key Areas
In Shami’s absence, Gujarat Titans had to experiment with their bowling options, including deploying Mohit Sharma, their designated death-overs specialist, in the powerplay. Sandeep Warrier, Shami’s replacement, showed promise initially, while Umesh Yadav had an inconsistent season. Spencer Johnson, one of their high-profile auction signings, failed to make an impact, struggling to find swing and leaking runs.
Overall, the decline in Mohit Sharma’s performance during the death overs significantly impacted the Gujarat Titans. Last season, they boasted the best economy rate during the death overs, largely due to Mohit’s contributions. However, this season, they struggled in the same phase, conceding plenty of runs.
In the initial games, Mohit showcased his prowess by picking up eight wickets in his first six matches at an economy rate of 9.39. He delivered match-winning spells against Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, he faced a slump midway through the season, notably conceding 73 runs in four wicketless overs against Delhi Capitals, marking the most expensive figures in the IPL. Although he bounced back with a commendable performance of 3 for 31 against CSK, by then, their chances of making it to the playoffs were slim.
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Rashid Khan’s Challenges
Additionally, Rashid Khan, the ace spinner, hasn’t been as effective as expected, managing only 12 wickets in ten matches this season. Teams seem to be more proactive against him, possibly due to the Impact Player rule, which allows them to bolster their batting lineup. Rashid’s economy rate of 8.30 in the last two seasons is notably higher than his economy of 6.59 during their title-winning campaign in 2022.
This season, Rashid Khan has encountered challenges unlike any in his IPL career, recording an economy rate of ten or more in a match on four occasions – the highest in his IPL history. Furthermore, for the first time since his IPL debut in 2017, Rashid has gone wicketless in three consecutive games. Rashid himself has acknowledged the lingering effects of a back surgery he underwent prior to the season.
In an interview with the Cricket Monthly, Rashid revealed, “It did initially in the first few games… Like, when I was bowling my wrong’un, it wasn’t going how it should, because for that I had to use my back more than for legspin. I had that nagging doubt at the back of my mind, so even if there was a bit of stiffness in my back, I would get scared.”
These ongoing injury concerns have adversely affected Rashid’s performance, which was particularly evident when Will Jacks scored 29 runs, including four sixes, off his over, contributing to an easy win for RCB in Ahmedabad.