Gujarat Titans' Struggles: Gill's Dip, Shami's Absence, and Rashid's Challenges

Analysis: What Went Wrong for Gujarat Titans This IPL?

The 2022 winners and 2023 runners-up struggled throughout this season, failing to reach the playoffs after topping the group stages in the first two years. Was their slump down to a change of guard with their captain Hardik Pandya leaving? Have they missed Mohammed Shami? Did Shubman Gill's form last year hide their struggles, which were amplified even more by his patchy form this time?

The Ripple Effect of Gill's Form

Gill's form this season had a significant impact on GT's top order, as they were the worst team in the powerplay (run rate 7.23). This was in sharp contrast to last year when he made 890 runs and three hundreds. His mixed returns this time had a ripple effect on GT's top order as they were the worst team in the powerplay (run rate 7.23). It didn't help that Wriddhiman Saha, who gave them a jumpstart more often than not last year when he made 371 runs, also battled wretched form. Gill's average of 15.11 this season is the lowest among all openers who have played at least nine innings in the powerplay.

The Middle-Order Muddle

GT struggled to find the right balance in the middle order in Hardik's absence. David Miller was given a bigger middle-order role, but he managed just one half-century this season. Rahul Tewatia, too, found it increasingly hard to force the pace. All that accumulation in the middle didn't translate into a big finish either and GT found themselves ranked ninth in the death overs.

The Shami Factor

Shami's absence meant GT had to shuffle around their options, including trying Mohit Sharma, their designated death-overs bowler, in the powerplay. Sandeep Warrier, Shami's replacement, briefly sparkled while Umesh Yadav had a stop-start season. Of course, some of the imbalance in their XI (or XII) was down to injuries, too. Robin Minz's absence forced them to stick with Saha as an opener, while BR Sharath, Minz's injury replacement, played all of one game. In all, GT used 23 players, the most by a team this season.