Overview
It’s hard to put into words what Gujarat Titans achieved in 2022 without resorting to hyperbole. An expansion team with a captain who had little experience of leading on the big stage, and a head coach whose resume was equally limited. But Hardik Pandya, assisted by Ashish Nehra, and a squad carefully assembled through pre-auction picks and auction purchases didn’t just win the title, they romped to it. The Titans won 8 of their first 9 matches, pulling off some incredible run chases, and were then too good for Rajasthan Royals (twice) in the play-offs. That core group, with the exception of Lockie Ferguson, has been retained, while Kane Williamson will add both solidity and considerable nous when he gets his chances.
Strengths and weaknesses
Their strength is clearly a bowling line-up that boasts genuine pace, skilful spin, and a tricky left-armer. Mohammed Shami frequently broke games open for Gujarat last season, while Rashid Khan’s wiles didn’t allow most batting line-ups to get on top of the new team. Alzarri Joseph could be a speedy wrecking ball, while Yash Dayal was the surprise Indian pacer. Add in Sai Kishore’s spin, and you had a team that didn’t lack for wicket-taking options.
Shubman Gill provides class and impetus at the top, while a middle order of Pandya, Rahul Tewatia and David Miller isn’t going to hold back against pace or spin. Miller will miss a couple of games because of national duty, so Gujarat will hope Matthew Wade can show off the hitting prowess that helped Australia to the T20 World Cup in 2021.
The big question that will be asked of Gujarat is whether they have the squad depth to cope with injuries or lack of form. Odean Smith was an erratic performer with Punjab last season, while this is very much a step up for Ireland’s Josh Little. The Indian players on the fringes, like Wriddhiman Saha, Vijay Shankar, Pradeep Sangwan, Jayant Yadav and Shivam Mavi have never strung together enough consistent performances to be considered part of the league’s elite.
Strategy watch
Gujarat will hope they don’t need to deviate too much from the template that worked so well in 2022. Their bowlers were a formidable unit, and on the few occasions when they slipped up, the batting had enough oomph and depth to salvage the situation. Pandya led with flair and more calm than many expected from him, and almost every player from the first-choice XI produced an innings or spell of note. Players from other sides may have won the Orange and Purple caps, but there’s little doubt that no team combined as well as Gujarat did.
Impact Player watch
Given that they spent 2 crores to get him, you can expect Williamson to start the first few games at least. But don’t be surprised if he’s then swapped out for either Joseph or Little, or Smith, in case the batting isn’t as robust as it was last season.
Last year
Gujarat were so good early on that they sealed a place in the playoffs with five matches remaining. Though they then lost 3 out of the 5 to finish with a 10-4 record, they were comprehensive winners in the playoffs.
Best finish
Entered the competiton in 2022, and promptly won it.
Likely Playing XI
Matthew Wade (WK), Shubman Gill, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Pandya (C), Rahul Tewatia, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Yash Dayal, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Shami.