Gujarat Titans’ Batting Collapse: Not the Pitch, But a Shot Selection Failure
Amidst the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Gujarat Titans (GT) faced a humiliating batting collapse against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday, raising concerns about their performance. Despite the pitch appearing to be in good condition, the Titans were bowled out for a mere 89 runs, raising questions about the reasons behind this dismal display.
Poor Shot Selection and Lack of Application
After being sent into bat, GT skipper Shubman Gill attributed the team’s failure to poor shot selection and a lack of application. “Our batting performance was very average,” Gill said at the post-match presentation. “I think the wicket was alright, to be honest. If you see our dismissals, the ball I got out to had nothing to do with the pitch. Even the way Wriddhi [Wriddhiman Saha] bhai got out had nothing to do with the pitch, and Sai [Sudharsan] got run out. So I don’t think it had anything to do with the pitch. Just a bad batting performance and poor shot selection, I would say.”
Worrying Signs for the Titans
This latest batting failure adds to an already concerning pattern for the Titans this season. Earlier in the tournament, they fell short of chasing a modest total against the Lucknow Super Giants, raising concerns about their batting depth. “It’s the second time this season,” said ESPNcricinfo analyst Ian Bishop, referring to GT’s batting failures. “When they played Lucknow, and Lucknow got 160-odd and they didn’t even get close to it. To me, at that time, there was no reason why Shubman and his team shouldn’t have got that total. The ball didn’t do a whole heap off the surface. So this is quite worrying that at least on two occasions so early in the season they have capitulated when the pitch conditions suggested it should not have been like that.”
Over-Reliance on Gill?
In the absence of Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami, the Titans have appeared to rely heavily on Gill for runs and Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma for wickets. This over-reliance may be contributing to their vulnerability, as evidenced by their recent batting failures. Gill is their leading run-scorer this season, but the team needs more players to step up and contribute consistently.
Time for Introspection
Despite the disappointing result, GT’s David Miller remains hopeful and believes the team can bounce back. “We got absolutely pumped, but the thing is, if we had won tonight, we would have been four [wins] from seven [games],” he said. “It just was one of those games where I don’t feel anything went our way. As I said a couple of games ago, I don’t feel there are any areas of major concern. There have been one or two games where we haven’t played to our potential, but if everyone just plays the way they can, I think everything is pretty sweet.”
The Titans will need to address their batting concerns quickly, as their position in the points table has slipped to seventh place. The team must work on improving their shot selection, mental toughness, and overall application if they want to turn their season around and challenge for the title.
Mehek