IPL 2022 – A Brilliant Debut Campaign for Gujarat Titans

The Gujarat Titans’ journey in the IPL 2022 has been nothing short of spectacular. The team led by Hardik Pandya currently leads the points table, having won eight of their first nine games.

Many cricket pundits had written off the Titans after the mega auction because their team didn’t appear balanced on paper. Jason Roy withdrew from the tournament before it began. Hardik Pandya’s fitness was questioned, and David Miller is no longer the same player he once was. As a result, it was natural for all experts to give the Titans a lower rating than their counterparts.

They have, however, silenced their critics in grand style by playing some fantastic cricket. Here’s an attempt to figure out what’s driving GT’s success in this IPL.

1. Captain Hardik leading from the front

Gujarat Titans’ Skipper Hardik Pandya

The renaissance of Hardik Pandya as a world-class allrounder has been the most important factor in GT’s success. He had been struggling with both form and fitness since 2020, but we saw a completely different Hardik in IPL 2022. The table below shows how much better Hardik has been as a batsman this season compared to the previous one.

(The above mentioned stats is Hardik’s batting performance in IPL 2021 and 2022)

Apart from his batting, Hardik’s bowling has been a huge asset to the Titans. Due to injury issues, he did not bowl a single delivery in the previous two IPL seasons, but he was seen consistently clocking 140kph this season. Hardik has four wickets at a 7.57 economy rate in IPL 2022, his best since his IPL debut. As shown in the table below, his numbers with the ball in powerplay have been exceptional.

In addition to his outstanding overall performance, Hardik has been precise with his on-field calls. His leadership abilities have been lauded by experts.

2. Improved performance by Shami in powerplay

Mohammed Shami has spent the majority of his IPL career as a powerplay bowler. While playing for the Punjab Kings, he kept it tight in the powerplay, but his wicket-taking ability was a source of concern for the team.

Shami, on the other hand, has been a much improved powerplay bowler this time around, taking early wickets for the Titans with the new ball. The statistics below clearly show a significant improvement in Shami’s powerplay wicket-taking ability.

(The above mentioned stats is Mohammed Shami’s performance in PP for PBKS and GT)

His economy and dot ball percentage have also improved, indicating that he has been able to keep the opposition from getting off to a fast start.

Team Gujarat Titans

3. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia’s valour

Both David Miller and Rahul Tewatia have been outstanding for the Titans, guiding the team to perfection while chasing high totals. Miller’s consistent hitting has allowed him to rewind the clock, as can be seen by the statistics below.

(A comparison of David Miller’s batting statistics in IPL 2022 and those in IPL 2017-2021)

Tewatia, on the other hand, has demonstrated his exceptional finishing skills on numerous occasions. Overall, the dynamic southpaw has a 44.75 ERA and has struck out at a rate of 161.26 this season. While chasing, he has scored 142 of his total 179 runs at a stunning strike rate of 163.2.

Furthermore, he has amassed 150 runs in the slog overs while facing only 72 balls at an incredible strike rate of 208.3. At the death, the allrounder needed only three balls to hit a boundary and has a dot ball-percentage of just 25. These incredible numbers demonstrate how important a player he has been for the Titans this season.

Apart from these factors, some outstanding individual performances, such as Shubman Gill’s consecutive 80-plus scores against DC and PBKS, Wriddhiman Saha’s impactful knock of 68 against SRH, and Rashid Khan’s blistering cameos of 40(21) and 31(11), respectively, against CSK and SRH, have greatly aided GT in pulling off some historic victories.

Can the Titans go all the way and win the IPL trophy in their first season? What do you think?