IPL 2024: A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Gujarat Titans For The New IPL Season

Aiming for a second title in their third Indian Premier League (IPL) season this year, the Gujarat Titans will be a force to reckon with. Their opening game this season will be a blockbuster encounter with five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad. In this article, we will see how the Titans have geared up for the new season and what the schedule will look like.

The franchise was dealt a massive blow when their skipper, Hardik Pandya, decided to leave and join Mumbai Indians this year. The team has elected Shubman Gill as their captain for this campaign, and will play under the coaching expertise of Ashish Nehra. CVC Capital Partners owns the franchise, and their home ground is the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.

IPL 2024 will be a test for the Titans on the leadership front. Having traded Hardik to the Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal—the sum is undisclosed—the Titans have named Shubman Gill as their captain. Gill’s reputation as an international star has gone from strength to strength over the past year, as he has established himself in the Indian team across formats, but his leadership credentials are largely untested.

He hasn’t led any of the teams he has played for since his junior cricket days. At Titans, Gill will have some cushion in the form of Kane Williamson, the former New Zealand captain, who brings with him immense leadership experience. Last year, Williamson’s tournament ended an hour into the IPL when he hurt his ankle while fielding on the boundary rope. Having raced against time to get fit for the World Cup last October-November, Williamson returns rejuvenated.

Rashid Khan, the Afghan superstar, is back from an injury layoff, while they’ve tried to plug the Hardik gap by signing young Afghan seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Australia left-arm quick Spencer Johnson was among the most expensive overseas buys at the auction for INR 10 crore.

The Titans have a big hole in the bowling to fill, especially with Mohammed Shami injured and ruled out of the tournament. They’ve signed India quick Sandeep Warrier as his replacement. Warrier, who made his India debut in 2021, has so far featured in just five IPL games and plays for Tamil Nadu in the domestic circuit.

He has a few familiar faces in the dressing room for company. R Sai Kishore, his state captain, is an up-and-coming left-arm spinner who ended the Ranji Trophy as the highest wicket-taker. Then there’s B Sai Sudharsan, who enjoyed a breakout season at the top of the order last year in Williamson’s absence. Sudharsan has since gone on to debut for India in the 50-overs format. Vijay Shankar, the allrounder, is another key cog in the middle in Hardy’s absence.

At 38, Wriddhiman Saha is still going strong and likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Australia’s Matthew Wade as a backup. They also have in the mix young Jharkhand wicketkeeper Robin Minz, who they signed for INR 3.6 crore, but he is a doubtful starter early on. The presence of a strong Indian core makes Titans a force to reckon with.

Gujarat Titans, one of two new IPL entrants, hogged the limelight on the grandest stage of them all when their debut season culminated in ultimate crowning glory in 2022. Hardik, their first-ever captain, held the trophy aloft at their home ground, Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, in front of 120,000 people when Titans vanquished the Rajasthan Royals.

It was quite the dream scenario for a new team whose owners, CVC Capital Partners, had bid some unreal numbers to eventually acquire the franchise for INR 5625 crore (approximately USD 750 million). Naming a Gujarati—Hardik hails from Baroda, a two-hour drive from Ahmedabad—as captain of a Gujarat-based franchise seemed the ultimate dream.

Hardik enhanced his credentials even more in the second year as the Titans made their second straight final. A second title in their second season loomed, once again at their home ground, until the very end of a pulsating climax against Chennai Super Kings. They needed ten off two. A good ball would’ve closed out the game.

Mohit Sharma bowled four superb Yorkers but lost his plot off the last two deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and a four, and the Titans suffered heartbreak. Yet, a runners-up finish to top off a title win was quite a remarkable initiation for IPL’s newest franchise. It reflected a settled and relaxed unit helmed by Hardik and supported in the backroom by former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra and former England batter Vikram Solanki.

Titans open their campaign with a blockbuster game first up at home against Mumbai Indians. It’ll mark Hardik’s return to Ahmedabad, this time as an opponent captain. From there, they have a quick turnaround time as they travel to Chennai and play CSK on March 26.

They return home for two straight games on March 31 and April 4 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings before travelling up north to Lucknow on April 7 to take on the Lucknow Super Giants.

The BCCI’s schedule for the remainder of the tournament is in the process of being chalked out.