Why Will Gujarat Titans Lose In IPL 2024?

Shubman Gill and others during IPL 2023 (X.com)Shubman Gill and others during IPL 2023 (X.com)

Gujarat Titans have shown supreme consistency ever since making their debut in 2022. They were crowned champions in their first season and finished runner-ups last year, establishing themselves as a formidable force.

However, Hardik Pandya, the leader of their pack in the previous two editions, will no longer be at the helm in the forthcoming edition, which is set to get underway on March 22. In his departure, Shubman Gill, the rising star, will take charge from now on.

Now, the Titans unit seems entirely different. They built a pretty mediocre team despite having the largest purse at the latest auction. Hence, it's possible that they won't be able to maintain the level of success they were enjoying.

For what reason is that? We will find the main reasons here.

No Supremo In Fast Bowling Attack

Mohammed Shami won the Purple Cap in IPL 2023 (X.com)Mohammed Shami won the Purple Cap in IPL 2023 (X.com)

The news that Mohammed Shami will miss the entire IPL 2024 is a huge blow to the Titans camp. They invested massive amounts of money in Spencer Johnson (INR 10 crore) and Umesh Yadav (INR 5.8 crore), but they won’t add an out-and-out strength to couple with Mohit Sharma in order to make a prolific pace attack.

Despite India’s spin-friendly conditions, one must build a solid pace battery for their team’s success. Check Mumbai Indians’ roadmap, for example.

‘Captain’ Gill To Trouble ‘Batsman’ Gill

Shubman Gill won the Orange Cap in IPL 2023, tallying 890 runs (X.com)Shubman Gill won the Orange Cap in IPL 2023, tallying 890 runs (X.com)

We all have seen what happened to SRH’s Aiden Markram in IPL 2023. Markram was in sublime form before that season, which rewarded him with the captain’s hat. Yet, after taking on the captain’s responsibility, he failed to deliver and ended up losing the leadership duties.

Will we see a similar story for Gill? Only time will tell. At this point, all we can say is that announcing Gill as one of the IPL’s captains might be too early.

Over-Reliance On Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan took 27 wickets, and also had a 216.67 strike rate in IPL 2023 (X.com)Rashid Khan took 27 wickets, and also had a 216.67 strike rate in IPL 2023 (X.com)

When it comes to T20 cricket, Rashid Khan is the biggest match-winner of the game. However, sometimes even the best fail on certain days. Therefore, relying too much on Rashid is not going to help the Titans any longer.

Additionally, even though the Titans paid big bucks (INR 7.4 crore) for Shahrukh Khan, he can’t be termed Hardik’s successor, and bringing in Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai won’t boost the squad either on a long-term basis.

All in all, it is fair to say that the Titans have a few individuals who can turn the tide on their best days, but as a unit, they do not seem to be title contenders any longer. So, don’t be surprised if they fail to make the cut in the Playoffs in the upcoming edition.