Being a new entrants in the ongoing 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gujarat Titans (GT) have so far proved to be one of the promising sides to big for cash-rich glory. GT won their first three matches on the trot beating the likes of Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings until they were handed their first defeat by Sunrisers Hyderabad to sit fifth on the IPL points table.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer pointed out the weak link of Hardik Pandya-led side. Jaffer believes that the Gujarat side is dependant on the contributions of two to three batters only.
“Wade is not contributing consistently, so the load is certainly on Gill to spend more time on the crease and is doing the bulk of the scoring. A player like Gurbaz is in the squad and can get the opportunity in the upcoming games due to his recent performance. Hardik has not batted at the number four position before this season, that’s why he gets entangled against the spinners. The likes of Abhinav Manohar and Sai Sudharsan are inexperienced, and Tewatia comes late as well. I think they are dependent on the contributions of two to three batters,” Jaffer told CricTracker.
SRH snapped GT three-match winning streak with a eight-wicket win in their last outing, with captain Kane Williamson leading from the front with a solid 57 while Nicholas Pooran gave the finishing touches with a late flourish on Monday. Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 50 had taken Gujarat Titans to 162 for 7 after being sent in to bat, but that was never going to be enough, as Williamson, who struck his first fifty of the season, anchored the Sunrisers' chase, as they crossed the line in 19.1 overs.
Jaffer was impressed by the Sunrisers’ performance against the Titans, where they played out Rashid in a cautious manner and attacked the fifth bowling option, Darshan Nalkande, thereby winning the match. He further said that Tewatia should look to get wickets, rather than trying to contain runs, which will be of great help to the Titans in the upcoming matches.
“The SRH followed the template of not giving wickets to Rashid and instead attacked the fifth and sixth bowler, while Lockie had a very bad day. Tewatia is not a wicket-taking option, he can only contain runs. But in T20, if you don’t have a wicket-taking mindset, it can get tough. The other teams can also follow them to take 20-25 runs from Rashid, and target other bowlers, which is the right strategy,” Jaffer added.
