In February, all the talk about Gujarat Titans revolved around how they had messed up at the mega auction. Their batting looked thin, the overall balance awry, and some of the players they picked had underwhelming IPL records. On top of that, they had an inexperienced captain who was coming off an injury. But as we approach the halfway stage of the season, Titans are at the top of the table with five wins from six games. Here are some of the factors that have played a part in their success.
Strong bowling attack
Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami make Titans' bowling unit one of the strongest in IPL 2022. With the new ball, Titans have been incisive as well as frugal. Their powerplay strike rate of 15.4 is the best in the tournament and translates to 2.33 wickets on average in the first six overs. Their economy rate in this phase is 7.33, the second-best among the ten teams.
Their seamers, especially Shami, have benefited from early-season grass on the pitches. "It's important to use the new ball well," he told Star Sports. "And when you have got multiple options for the back end, it becomes almost imperative to look for wickets up front."
Titans have dominated the back end too. In the death overs (17-20), they are by far the most economical side, conceding only 8.41 per over. To put that in context, Delhi Capitals, the second-best side on that table, have managed an economy rate of 10.15, while Mumbai Indians, currently the most expensive side in that phase, have conceded 13.05 runs an over. On average, Titans have conceded 18.56 runs fewer than Mumbai per game in just those last four overs.