The Gujarat Titans entered the 16th season of the Tata IPL 2023 as the defending champions after taking the coveted title in their first attempt. They were captained by the flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya. They won the IPL in their first outing after defeating the Rajasthan Royals. GT has become just the second team, after the Royals themselves, to do so.
With confidence and a mostly unchanged roster, the defending champions will enter their second edition of the league. They didn’t need to make the necessary adjustments to their winning roster as was anticipated. The Titans appear to be a team that can successfully defend their IPL title, joining CSK as the second team to do so.
On the first night of the new season of the Indian Premier League, GT will begin its campaign against the Dhoni-led CSK team ( Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings). In this article, we will discuss the leadership group of Gujarat Titans & their best predicted playing XI for IPL 2023.
Gujarat Titans Review
A few intriguing updates have been made on the clubs and individuals taking part in the lucrative IPL as the countdown to 2023 begins. One such revelation is the fact that Hardik Pandya, the Gujarat Titans’ fiery all-rounder, and captain, would receive some downtime in the competition.
The Gujarat Titans will be led for a few games by the young and brilliant Shubman Gill while Pandya is away.
Given that Hardik Pandya is one of Mumbai Indians’ most important players. The news of his absence surprised many cricket fans. But during a gruelling competition like the IPL. It is common for players to be rested, especially for those with a history of injuries.
Predicted Starting XI for GT in IPL 2023
Opening Batsman: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha/ Matthew Wade
The finest batsman in international cricket this year is without a doubt, Shubman Gill. The Indian team’s opening batsman has been in excellent form, scoring over 900 runs with five centuries in all formats in 2023, and he is just going to get stronger.
The GT club will be hoping the brilliant opener maintains his form in the IPL after scoring a T20I century already this year.
Matthew Wade or Wriddhiman Saha, two dangerous experienced wicket-keeper batsmen, might bat at the top of the order alongside Gill.
Middle-order Batsman: Kane Williamson/ Sai Sudharsan, Abhinav Manohar, David Miller
The no.3 position was one of GT’s areas of concern last season, so Kane Williamson provides stability. They have sorted it out by adding the Kiwi legend to the team. Kane is likely to fill the role of No.3 in the Gujarat Titan side if Saha opens the innings. In his 76 IPL appearances for SRH, Williamson has scored 2101 runs at an average of more than 36.
Abhinav Manohar is a powerful middle-order batsman. He has featured in 8 games for this title team the previous season. He will assume responsibility for carrying the middle order, along with David Miller, an outsider from South Africa.
Miller had his finest IPL season to date in 2022, scoring 481 runs at a great average of 68.71, striking out at over 142. He is enjoying a rich run of form while playing for the Proteas.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan
This GT team benefits from Hardik Pandya’s unique look, and the all-rounder has advanced greatly as a leader. Pandya, like Miller, had a standout 2022 season, scoring 487 runs, by far his best total, while also taking 8 wickets in 15 games.
The leg-spin all-rounder Rahul Tewatia enters the game next, continuing the firepower of the Gujarat Titans. The left-handed batsman has already shown that he is capable of winning games on his good days. Tewatia was one of the team’s stars in the last competition, scoring 217 runs at a 147-strike rate.
Rashid Khan, the talented leg-spinner, has been a great addition to the GT side. Last season, he showed his value by helping the team win games with both the bat and the ball. In his 16 games in the 2022 IPL, he recorded 19 wickets at an average of 22.16.
Strike Bowlers: Alzarri Joseph, Shivam Mavi, Mohammad Shami
GT features Alzarri Joseph in its lineup. Over the previous couple of years, he has been the finest bowler for the West Indies. He has picked the most wickets for his nation. Joseph will spearhead GT’s pace attack alongside Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. Shami needs one more wicket to hit the 100-wicket mark in the IPL.
Shami will be crucial to the Titans’ title defence. He was responsible for 20 of these 99 victories in the previous edition.
Shivam Mavi was acquired for an enormous sum of 6 crores. Based on current indications, the pacer is ready to join the GT lineup right away. He took 32 wickets in 30 innings so far for the GT.
