Gujarat Titans (GT) have appointed young opener Shubman Gill as their new captain for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, after the departure of all-rounder Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians (MI).
The franchise selected him as the new leader, considering his exceptional performance in the T20 league. At just 24 years old, his track record has been impressive.
In the last two seasons, Shubman Gill has played 33 matches for the Gujarat franchise in the IPL. He has scored 1,373 runs. The team he was part of won the trophy in their first season in the T20 league, in 2022.
In the 2023 season, he scored 890 runs in 17 matches, averaging 59.33 at a strike rate of 157.80, with three hundreds and four fifties. Despite Gill’s brilliance, GT came in second place in the edition.
He has been considered as leadership potential ever since he began playing regularly in international cricket and the IPL. Shubman Gill will get the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities with the Gujarat Titans.
With the teenager chosen as the franchise’s new captain, we examine three issues Shubman Gill will need to address as captain of the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024.
1. Shubman Gill’s responsibility to lift Gujarat Titans’ spirits following Hardik Pandya’s exit
Gujarat Titans may deny it, but losing Hardik Pandya, the skipper, is a significant setback. The team was created around his leadership and the astute way he managed the players.
Many commentators did not believe GT had a good chance of winning the IPL in their first season. Their squad does not appear to be the strongest on paper. Pandya, on the other hand, led from the front and developed an excellent partnership with coach Ashish Nehra as Gujarat upset much-fancied opponents to win the coveted title in their debut season.
The fantastic run continued in IPL 2023. Although Gujarat Titans were unable to ruin MS Dhoni’s celebration, losing to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a rain-soaked final in Ahmedabad, they performed well to reach the top battle for the second year in a row.
The impact of Pandya’s captaincy was once again palpable in the team’s performance.
With Pandya gone, GT will have to rebuild from the ground up. Shubman Gill will need time to discover his own voice as the outfit’s new leader. The main task for him during this period will be to maintain team spirit strong while without lowering his own standards.
The skill to lead a team is one thing, but putting it into action on the field is a whole different story. How quickly Shubman Gill can bridge that gap will determine what happens to Gujarat in the IPL 2024.
2. Finding Hardik Pandya’s replacement in Gujarat Titans’ middle order
Gujarat will have to replace the vacuum left by Pandya not just as a leader, but also as a middle-order hitter and bowler. In both seasons as Titans coach, the 30-year-old had a big role with the willow.
Pandya scored 487 runs in 15 IPL 2022 matches and 346 runs in 16 IPL 2023 matches. Given his expertise and T20 talents, GT may find it difficult to replace someone like Pandya.
They will attempt to bolster their batting by acquiring some experienced players in the IPL 2024 auction. However, it would be preferable if someone from the present cast took up the anchor role that Pandya was playing for the brand.
The possibility of Kane Williamson taking up the role is being considered. However, it remains uncertain whether he can match Pandya’s effectiveness, particularly considering Williamson’s recent struggles in the IPL.
3. Getting the batters to play more freely
While the Gujarat Titans did make the IPL 2023 final, it was mostly due to Gill’s outstanding performance and the combined brilliance of their bowling lineup. Their hitting got stuck in a few games, which is something they need to work on this season.
If we look at some of Gujarat’s defeats in the 2023 edition, we can see that they moved from 91/2 to 177/7 in one of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) matches. They were restricted to 125/6 in Ahmedabad against the Delhi Capitals (DC), chasing 131.
Then, in another encounter against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, they fell to 103/8 in a chase of 219 until Rashid Khan (79* off 32) dragged the total back into respectability.
Shubman Gill and Nehra will have to work together to devise an effective strategy so that the Gujarat Titans’ batting does not rely significantly on the former once more.
