Not the best team, inexperienced captain, debut season!
When Gujarat Titans sat for IPL auctions, no one had thought that their mediocre-looking line-up will take them this far. But, on Tuesday evening, the Titans became the first team to grab the playoff spot after trampling the starry line-up of Lucknow by a huge margin of 62 runs.
Here are the 3 things that have worked the best for the Hardik Pandya led team:
Formidable Bowling Unit!
The absence of big names in the top-order never came to really haunt Gujarat Titans as they undeniably boast of one of the most fearful bowling line-ups this season. The presence of Rashid Khan, Mohd Shami, and Lockie Ferguson has been their biggest strength. The 3 bowlers have together taken 43 wickets for Gujarat so far.
A Dependable Lower Middle Order!
In the worst of situations also, Gujarat always has had an unexpected knight in shining armour. Known for making a comeback from any situation, Gujarat has had matchwinners like Rahul Tewatia, David Miller, and Rashid Khan. These 3 cricketers have alone scored 215, 332, and 72 for Gujarat in 11, 12, and 7 innings respectively.
Captaincy!
When Hardik Pandya's team had registered 5 consecutive victories, the skipper had said, 'there is no hierarchy in our team, Gujarat is a team of equals'.
It is as if Hardik Pandya was meant for this job! The all-rounder has turned heads this season with his shrewd captaincy. Sometimes he has led the team from the front with his bat but on most occasions, his tactical approach has helped the team in winning tough games.