Gujarat Titans (GT) will play their first season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), without Hardik Pandya. The 2022 IPL champions traded Pandya to Mumbai Indians (MI) before the auction in Dubai. Following the move, Gujarat appointed Shubman Gill as their skipper for the IPL 2024 season.
Under the young skipper, GT will endeavour to continue their aggressive brand of cricket. In the 2024 IPL auction held in Dubai, they spent INR 30.30 crores to buy eight players which include big names such as Shahrukh Khan and Umesh Yadav. Their costliest buy was Australia’s left-handed pacer Spencer Johnson for INR 10 crore. After the 2024 IPL auction, GT have formed a 25-member squad, following which the SWOT analysis becomes essential.
Here is the SWOT analysis of the Titans.
Strengths
Extraordinary international stalwarts
Renowned international players Shubman Gill, David Miller, Rashid Khan, and Mohammed Shami make Gujarat a formidable side. In the last two years, all these names have played a vital role in making GT one of the most successful franchises in the cash-rich league. In the 2024 season, Kane Williamson will also be seen in action. The Kiwi veteran’s comeback will fortify the Titans’ batting unit.
Superb match-finishers
GT have added Shahrukh Khan to their squad after splurging INR 7.40 crores from their purse in the 2024 auction. The Chennai-born player will be expected to utilise his aggressive batting attitude and don the role of a match-finisher in the side. Along with Shahrukh, David Miller and Rahul Tewatia also possess the capability to conclude games in style.
Sensational spin-bowling duo
Gujarat’s spin attack will be led by Rashid Khan and he will get his compatriot Noor Ahmad’s support. Rashid is known for wreaking havoc on batters with his leg-break bowling while Noor also showed in 2023 that he can trouble batters with his wrist-spin bowling. The Afghan duo will look to trap batters again for GT in 2024.
Weaknesses
Lack of quality all-rounders
After the departure of Hardik Pandya, GT don’t have quality all-rounders in their team. They have Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Rahul Tewatia, who can serve the team in all departments of the game but their records reveal that they aren’t as effective as Pandya.
GT’s fast-bowling unit will be spearheaded by Mohammed Shami and he will get the support of his India teammates Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma. Except for Shami, both pacers have struggled to perform well consistently. Umesh looked disastrous with the ball in the 2023 edition for KKR while Mohit has played only three matches after the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in May 2023. In those three contests, the 35-year-old struggled to be among the wickets
Opportunities
An Incredible chance for new members to erect their places in the team
Shahrukh Khan, who failed to do wonders for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the last two seasons, will strive to put up an extraordinary show in GT colours. Spencer Johnson, who bagged a lucrative 10-crore deal from the franchise, will have to justify his hefty amount in the tournament. Umesh Yadav failed to shine with the ball in 2023 but in 2024, his endeavours will be to perform remarkably for the Titans and keep his IPL career alive for a few years.
Threats
First-time captain
Shubman Gill will be seen as a skipper for the first time in the league. As a batter, he has done a marvellous job for GT in 2023 which helped him fill the shoes of Hardik Pandya, who will be seen in the Mumbai Indians’ jersey. In the leadership role, Gill’s responsibility will be to take Hardik’s excellent work ahead.
With New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson in the GT squad, the GT team management has trusted Gill to lead the side. Keeping the team’s future in mind, the move can be considered sensible but young Gill’s inexperience might go against the side in the competition.
Also check: Punjab Kings (PBKS) Team SWOT Analysis 2024
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