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Ever since Hardik Pandya moved to the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans, the majority of the talk has been centred around how the transition of MI would like, especially with five-time IPL winning captain Rohit Sharma still being an integral part-up of the team. IPL 2024 after all is the first season in 17 years that is witnessing a current Indian captain playing under the leadership of another player in a franchise. But amid all this, the transition in GT has almost gone unnoticed.
Under Hardik‘s leadership the franchise won IPL in first attempt in 2022 and in the next edition, they lost to CSK in the final. They were fast rising as one of the most consistent teams in the most competitive T20 league in the world. The unexpected change in leadership, therefore, was likely to be no less a blow to GT. They had two experienced overseas campaigners Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan who have led international sides successfully but decided to hand over the captaincy to Shubman Gill, one of India’s all-format players.
Sreesanth explains how GT bowlers can have more freedom under new captain Shubman Gill
Hardik was an influential captain. Along with head coach Ashish Nehra, he used to call the shots in the newly-formed franchise but former India fast bowler S Sreesanth believes the captaincy change could work in GT’s favour. Sreesanth said the GT bowlers will now get more freedom to set their own fields and execute their plans.
“There is no Hardik in Gujarat Titans to tell the bowlers what to bowl,” Sreesanth said on Fancode. “Sometimes you need to give the bowler that freedom to bowl. This time the captain is Gill, and I’m sure Ashish bhai (Ashish Nehra) will say ‘let them bowl’. Bowlers will also take responsibility with a young captain and sometimes, this is the advantage of having a young captain,” Sreesanth said.
Gill’s first look as an IPL captain has been pretty good. His field placements and bowling changes have been swift and just like he was during Pandya’s tenure, coach Nehra has been active from the sidelines.
GT got off to a great start, beating MI in their opening match of IPL 2024 but the last year’s runner-ups were bettered by CSK in a rematch of IPL 2023 final.
Chennai put up a sterling all-round show as Gujarat limped to 143-8 against pace-dominated attack after the home team had used the conditions to perfection and posted an above-par total of 206-6.
Impact player Sai Sudharsan top-scored with 37 off 31 balls, but the rest of the Gujarat batters struggled to put up partnerships with Chennai holding onto some brilliant catches in the deep.
Captain Shubman Gill made a five-ball eight before he played Deepak Chahar (2-28) across the line and was out plumb leg before wicket in the third over of a tall chase.
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