Gujarat Titans have been one of the most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, having won the IPL title in their maiden season and reaching the final in their second season in IPL 2023. However, their champion captain, Hardik Pandya, has left the side and returned to his former team, Mumbai Indians. In the absence of Pandya, the team will have many concerns to tackle. Additionally, they have suffered a major setback ahead of the IPL 2024 as Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the upcoming season.
Gujarat Titans injury concerns
Mohammed Shami- Gujarat Titans have already been dealt a blow with their leading bowler, Mohammed Shami, as the pacer underwent achilles tendon surgery and will require time to recover.
Rashid Khan- Spin maestro Rashid Khan has also raised concerns for GT as he had pulled out of the PSL. He is still recovering from his back surgery. Rashid Khan is a key bowler for Gujarat and one of the most experienced players in the team.
Other concerns
Inexperienced captain- As Hardik Pandya has moved to MI, Shubman Gill will lead the side. However, Gill does not have experience in captaining a team. He is also GT’s key batter, and GT would not want him to get pressured due to captaincy, as it may reflect on his batting.
Hardik Pandya void- For GT, Pandya ticked three departments: bowling, batting, and captaincy. No player in their team can fulfill these three aspects. He guided the team to its maiden IPL title in their first IPL stint. Gujarat have to find a good team balance early in the tournament to make it to the playoffs.
Lack explosive batters- GT has a weak batting order compared to their lineup in the previous season. Their most explosive batter, David Miller, has a strike rate of 138.40. Their big buy, Shahrukh Khan, has yet to prove his worth in the tournament.
Missing player- Matthew Wade will not play for the first two matches of the IPL as he will feature in the Sheffield Shield final. As Wade was their regular wicketkeeper, they would have to play Wriddhiman Saha, who was not in great form in IPL 2023, scoring 371 runs in 17 games.
