Dhamaka on Debut: How Gujarat Titans have become a force to reckon with in IPL 2022?

The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) has been lit up with even more competition, thanks to the addition of a couple of new franchises. One of them happens to be Gujarat Titans (GT), led by Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Surprisingly, it has been off to a thumping start to the season, placed atop the table and is certain of a playoffs berth.

So far, it has played nine matches and lost just one, besides winning the remaining eight. It plays Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday, and a win would guarantee its playoffs berth. Meanwhile, fans have been wondering as to what has made the side the most desired one in IPL 2022, despite not being one of the fancied ones before the season began? Here are the four factors to consider:

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Star-studded bowling
Considering GT's bowling attack, it is loaded with stars, like Rashid Khan, Jayant Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Alzarri Joseph, Varun Aaron, Dominic Drakes and many more. Most of them have been effective. Especially with the new ball, GT has been lethal, with seamer Shami nailing it with the swings, thanks to the grass on the tracks early in the season. Even in the death overs, it has been substantially economical.

Pandya's efficacy
When Pandya was announced as the side's skipper, all were taken abacks, considering his unstable form for over a year now. However, it seems like the leadership role has made him a more mature cricketer. Despite hardly any captaincy experience, he has made great decisions as a skipper that have aided the side.

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As for his performance all around, he is currently the side's highest run-scorer, amassing 308 in eight innings at a radiant average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.68, including three half-centuries. Even with the ball, he bowled his entire quota of four overs in the initial four matches. He has struggled with his bowling fitness for the last couple of years due to workload management after undergoing back surgery.

He has been excellent as a leader and has often been seen backing his players till the end, a trend that he has learnt from his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma.

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Possessing match-winners
One of the areas where the GT management has worked is getting enough match-winners in the side. The likes of David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Shubman Gill and Pandya himself specialise in the role, while leg-spinner Rashid Khan also somewhat fits in the role. Not just in the batting, but even in bowling, the likes of Shami and Ferguson have turned things around for GT.

Winning closely-contested games
Lastly, what the world has noticed is its ability to pull things off even at the closing stages. On three occasions, GT has pulled off a win in the final ball, thanks to their match-winning finishers. Also, the luck somewhat needs to be given credit here for GT, as Miller admitted that the dice have been rolling in its favour, for now.