Mumbai: In four seasons of the IPL so far, Gujarat Titans have won one title (2022), had one runners-up (2023) finish apart from making the playoffs last season.
It’s an enviable record.
Interestingly, they built this success by playing a brand of cricket different from most other T20 sides. While most teams focus on power-hitting at the top of the order, GT have put pressure on all opponents through their two openers, Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan’s, accumulating runs playing the classical version of the game.
GT’s top-order’s batting approach contrasts with India’s T20 World Cup winning side’s approach, where Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, play an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket.
In the run-up to the World Cup, the India team management tried Gill in the opening position, partner to Abhishek, but it didn’t work out.
But when it comes to GT, their openers’ approach is highly effective as well. Both Gill and Sudharsan have been consistently excellent; their template of playing the long innings is working fine.
If the power-hitters play with a higher strike-rate, Gill and Sudharsan bury the bowling attacks under a heap of runs. The 24-year-old left-hand batter from Chennai complements the right-handed Gill perfectly, and it is showing in the results. Last season, Sudharsan topped the IPL run charts with 759 runs scored at strike-rate of 156.17, with one hundred and six half-centuries. Captain Gill was not far behind with 650 runs scored at a strike-rate of 155.88 with six half centuries.
They have done this for a series of seasons. Before their 2025 run-fest, in the 2023 edition, Gill amassed 890 runs and in 2024 Sai Sudharsan topped GT’s run charts with 527.
The basis of their consistency is their risk-free batting. At the same time the opponents are unable to put them under pressure as the two stylish batters have strong basics with the ability to score off the good balls.
Ahead of a new season, it makes for an interesting debate over what’s the more effective way of handling the powerplay period where only two fielders are allowed outside the circle. The point is whether GT needs to tweak a template which is working so well for them?
Speaking of his partnership with his captain Gill, Sudharsan said, “We have to be equipped enough, or we have to be prepared enough to do that and obviously, when the main thing is our strength. So, how can we align it towards our strengths, and how can we still not compromise on that? At the same time, do what the team requires. I think ‘versatile’ is the right word.”
Gujarat Titans’ top three-Gill, Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler-showed consistency, which was the main reason GT reached the playoffs last season. They eventuslly lost in a high-scoring game against Mumbai Indians in the play-offs.
Ahead of IPL 2026, the Gujarat Titans, the 2022 champions, have hired former Australia opener Matthew Hayden as the batting coach. It is felt, six-hitting is one area the former CSK star can help Sudharsan get better at.
“With 10 days of time, we already have a few conversations around that, where, on how he used to look at those aspects, what you exactly mentioned and yes, we had conversations, and hopefully it helps me to get more success.”