The Gujarat Titans (GT) were the runaway winners of IPL 2022. Nobody had given them a chance post the mega auctions. It would have been very brave for anyone to predict them to emerge winners at the start of the season. The Hardik Pandya-led side did just that. They finished on top of the table with 10 wins out of 14 games.
GT won a thriller in the first qualifier. They outplayed RR in the finals. It was one of the most lopsided finals ever played in the tournament’s history. GT incidentally became just the second side to win the trophy in their debut season.
What went right for GT in IPL 2022?
Almost everything went right for the champions. The auction strategy paid off handsomely. GT had assembled a lethal bowling attack. Their strategy to employ two overseas pacers was brilliant. Lockie Ferguson and Alzarri Joseph were worth every penny. Mohammad Shami had a standout IPL. Rashid Khan continued his magical ways. He came of age as a batter in this edition. Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha were effective at the top.
But it was the middle-order trio that won GT the title. Rahul Tewatia emerged as one of the most dependable finishers this year. David Miller had his career-best IPL in 2022. He is now counted amongst world cricket’s most powerful middle-order batsmen. Miller and Tewatia were the important wheels of the trio, but the driver of the vehicle was none other than the captain. Hardik Pandya was inspirational, sensational, and flat-out brilliant as GT’s captain.
What went wrong for GT in IPL 2022?
Nothing much went wrong for GT in what was an outlandishly successful campaign. They would have liked more from their batters who batted at number 3. Except for their captain who came in at number 3, none of the other batters could own the spot. GT’s bench strength remains a cause of concern with not many backups for the starting XI.
3 Players GT Might Release Before IPL 2023:
#3 Varun Aaron
The speedster was picked with an intention to keep the batters in check with his pace. But Varun Aaron proved to be a big disappointment this season. His bowling skills aren’t suited to the shortest format of the game. Aaron played a couple of games this season picking two wickets. He conceded runs at 10.40 per over.
#2 Matthew Wade
He played a big role in Australia’s World Cup-winning run in 2021. Matthew Wade excelled in the role of a finisher. At Gujarat Titans, Wade was asked to bat in the top order. But Wade couldn’t really get going. The Aussie veteran was often behind the game on most occasions. He could muster just 157 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 113.77.
#1 Vijay Shankar
The ‘3D’ player term has caught Vijay Shankar on a wrong footing. He wasn’t able to get off the blocks despite getting plenty of chances. Shankar could score just 19 runs across four games batting at the number 3 position. His IPL career remains at the risk of a premature end.
