IPL 2023 league stage turned out to be one of the most exciting in the history of the IPL as the fourth playoff team was decided after the 70th game of the tournament. In fact, there was a traffic jam in the points table for the major part of the competition but the reigning champions Gujarat Titans were once again the standout team as took a flying start to stay in pole position.
The Titans had stunned one and all when they went to clinch the title in IPL 2022 despite making their debut in the previous season. However, in 2023 they proved that their maiden title run was not a flash in the pan as they won 10 out of their 14 league stage matches to finish at the numero uno position in the standings.
Once again, they came up with a collective show as they not only ticked the right boxes but also smashed them.
It is a famous adage that batters win you games but the bowlers win you tournaments and GT are on their way to prove the same. The two leading wicket-takers of the season belong to GT – Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan – with both of them taking 24 wickets in 14 matches.
While Shami breathed down the neck of the opposition with his swing and seam in the Powerplay overs, Rashid Khan handcuffed the batters with his wizardry in the middle order. Moreover, the duo got support from Mohit Sharma, who was brilliant in the death overs and scalped 17 wickets in 11 league stage matches.
On the other hand, Shubman Gill continued to bat like Shubman Gill as it has been a dream year for him. Gill has scored 680 runs in 14 matches at an average of 56.67 and a strike rate of 152.47 in IPL 2023 and he played a key role in taking GT to the playoffs. Moreover, Vijay Shankar scored 287 runs in nine innings while batting in the middle order whereas David Miller continued to add the finishing touches as he scored 255 runs in 12 innings.
Ergo, Gujarat Titans were able to follow their previous season’s success mantra of coming up with a collective show and almost every player was able to put his hand up when the team found themselves in any sort of trouble.
Last but not least, Hardik Pandya, though he hasn’t fired with the bat, deserves a lot of credit for his astute captaincy and for getting the best out of his players.
The Titans have a very good chance of defending their IPL crown and if they do it successfully, we all will be witnessing something really special in the history of the IPL.
