Similar to last season, the Gujarat Titans (GT) are at the top of the points table and have qualified for the Qualifier 1 with still one match to go. Hardik Pandya’s side has continued on their momentum and form from last season, where they won the title in their debut season itself, and has been as clinical as any team could hope for in the shortest format.
Again, like last season, Gujarat Titans have continued to find several heroes and match-winners as they have come along. The likes of Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Mohammed Shami have commanded Gujarat Titans strongly to propel them to the top of the table and closer to defending their title.
There have also been some unsung heroes for Gujarat Titans who perhaps haven’t been talked-up as much as their other star performers and these players haven’t garnered headlines like others.
Here are 2 big underrated performers of Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023:
Vijay Shankar
In the batting department, while it is Shubman Gill who is ruling the charts for the Gujarat Titans, other batters have rallied around the opener to help GT’s cause. One of them, who has been a surprise performer this season, is Vijay Shankar.
The same Vijay Shankar who averaged a merely 4.75 in 4 matches in IPL 2022 is now rocking Titan’s middle-order and has cracked 234 runs in 8 innings, while remaining not out twice, boosting his average to 39 and has struck at a strike rate of 163 – of all the Gujarat Titans batters who have faced a minimum of 50 balls so far this season, Shankar has the best strike rate of them. This tells what a turnaround Shankar has done to his game and added more might in Gujarat Titans batting-order after Kane Williamson was ruled out in the first match.
Vijay Shankar’s IPL career looked in uncertainty last season, but he’s vindicated GT’s decision to back him and retain him.
Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma wasn’t picked in the IPL 2022 auction but worked with Gujarat Titans as a net bowler throughout the season. Impressed by Mohit’s bowling in the nets and considering his experience, Gujarat Titans brought for a cheap price of INR 50 lakh in the IPL 2023 auction.
It is fair to say that Mohit Sharma, who hadn’t played in the last two IPL seasons, has left everyone astonished with his success in the IPL 2023. While Shami and Rashid Khan are the top wicket-takers at the moment with 23 wickets in 13 games, Mohit Sharma is not far behind – 17 wickets in 10 matches.
Mohit has mostly been used by Hardik Pandya in the second half of the innings, with his variations coming to fore for the bowler and for Gujarat Titans. Mohit’s slower variations – in particular the back of hand delivery – has outfoxed even the most dangerous of batters in the IPL 2023. He has an economy of 7.45 which is simply terrific considering he bowls majorly in the second half of the innings.
