The final week of the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League has officially begun and no team has qualified for the playoffs. The Race for Playoffs continues to heat up among the 10 teams. The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans are currently sitting at the top of the tables with 8 wins and 4 defeats. It will be interesting to see if GT qualifies first for the playoffs.
GT will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final home game of the league season on Monday. Gujarat will qualify for the IPL playoffs for the second time in a row if they defeat SunRisers in their last league game.
Irfan Pathan Feels Hardik Pandya Has Failed To Meet The Expectations
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has stated that the defending champions GThave been struggling to have a set batter at number 3. He also said that Pandya has not been able to live up to the expectations with the bat in the ongoing IPL 2023.
Pandya impressed one and all with his blockbuster performance last year as he led GT to their first-ever championship. In the 2022 season, Hardik scored 487 runs in 15 innings at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.27, however, this time, Pandya has managed to score just 281 runs in 11 Indian Premier League 2023 matches at an average of 31.22 and a strike rate of 130.69.
Speaking about the performance of Pandya, Pathan said:
“Gujarat Titans are facing a batting conundrum at number 3. Hardik hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations with the bat this year. But if he isn’t firing at number three, it will be tough for the team management to figure out whom to send on this position,”
Mohammed Kaif Backed Gujarat Titans
While Former Indian Speedster has criticized leader GT Skipper, on the other hand, Mohammed Kaif has backed the defending champions to come out victorious against Sunrisers Hyderabad and become the first team to get qualified for the playoffs.
Speaking on Star Sports Cricket Live, Kaif said:
“Gujarat Titans can be the first team to qualify for the playoffs with a win against SRH. Captain Hardik Pandya looked unhappy with his and his team’s performance in the previous game and they’ll be looking to make a comeback. Their performance away from home has been good and they’ll be looking to improve the winning record at home this time,”
