IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans SWOT Analysis - Hardik Pandya and co enter as defending champions, title contenders

Having won the Indian Premier League (IPL) title in its maiden appearance last year, Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT) will aim to replicate all the right moves it made to lift the trophy with the competition expanded to 10 teams. GT was the best team in IPL 2022 for raising the title and executing a perfectly-planned campaign among all competitors, winning 10 out of 14 league games and finishing at the top of the points table with the best outcome (20 points).

Since leading GT to the title win last year, Pandya's stature has grown with his ascendency to India's permanent captaincy job in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and even a look-in in ODIs. In contrast, their young batter Shubman Gill has established himself as a natural pick, at least in two of the three international formats.

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Both Pandya and Gill led GT with the bat, finishing with 487 and 483 runs, respectively, to top the charts for their side, while two of the best in business, Mohammad Shami (20 wickets) and Rashid Khan (19), were their primary attacking weapons with the ball. Even though GT have let go of the express pacer Lockie Ferguson, his absence should not rock the ship, which also consists of Ireland pacer Josh Little, West Indies' Alzarri Joseph, Shivam Mavi, Yash Dayal and a few more.

Strengths
Credit must be given to the coaching staff led by former India pacer Ashish Nehra for establishing camaraderie between the players and, most importantly, clarity of their roles. In the lead-up to IPL 2023, both non-regular members of GT, Mavi and R Sai Kishore, highlighted that knowing and executing their functions were among the biggest reasons for GT's successful campaign last year.

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With the firepower of Gill at the top, Gujarat has plenty of resolute batters in Pandya, B Sai Sudharshan, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, who can all attack and also hold the fort. The addition of Kane Williamson is a shot in the arm for GT, who also have roped in Ireland's ICC T20 World Cup hat-trick bowler Josh Little and West Indies' Odean Smith. Williamson has over 2,100 runs in the IPL and abundant leadership experience and can be No. 3 to perfection on challenging wickets. Known for his batting prowess, Tewatia showed his skills with the ball in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022-23 with 14 wickets in eight matches.

Weaknesses
On paper, GT seems to have plugged in the holes it might have discovered last season. For a team whose bench strength could have inspired more confidence, Mavi claimed that GT addressed that issue. For example, if Pandya was responsible for holding the innings together at No. 4, they now have another excellent option in Williamson. GT may lack an express pace bowler in Ferguson and his exploits in the death overs, but it should not be a massive concern since they have many options to work with. Additionally, the execution of plans will be critical here.

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Opportunities
Not many gave GT a chance last year when they arrived at the IPL stage. With an established name but minimal leadership experience, Pandya could have attracted more attention, and their capabilities were also questioned when the tournament began. But, GT gradually emerged as the most organised, well-planned, determined and disciplined unit, ready to blow away opponents or grind it out for a win. If it adopts a similar approach this year, its opponents are likely to have a hard time getting the better of it.

Threats
If there is one batter who has shown incredible growth and development across formats, it has to be Gill. Now, being perceived as a future leader of the Gujarat side, Gill has a One-Day International (ODI) double hundred to show, along with Test centuries. He is in prime form and could be the most dangerous batsman for GT.

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Pandya's leadership is inspirational. He treats players equally and behaves like a friend, and his approach is to bring the best out of them, similar to their head coach Nehra's. Pandya's all-round abilities with the bat and the ball will again be vital for GT. David Miller will miss the season's first game against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but is expected to be available for selection from the second match onwards. The venerable South African has been one of the best in the business regarding finishing games in tense situations. His presence in the GT middle-order makes it very dangerous.

Saha might face some competition from the young wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat, who has shown his aggressive side of the game in IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Williamson can be the glue for GT in the middle order, while B Sai Sudharsan and Abhinav Manohar will be expected to build on their success in the last season. Mavi says he has improved his batting a lot over the last year or so, but with the ball, the in-form Rashid, Shami, Joseph and the impressive Dayal will be considered the primary attack weapons.

(With inputs from PTI)