IPL 2023 recap: GT missed out on second successive title
Gujarat Titans are among the teams to watch out for in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) as the side qualified for the final in the last two seasons. While they tasted glory in their maiden outing in 2022, they lost the title clash to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last year. Here is the recap of GT's IPL 2023 campaign.
Summary of Gujarat Titans's campaign
With 10 wins in 14 games, the Titans finished the league stage as table-toppers. GT's net run rate of +0.809 was also the highest among all teams. After losing to eventual champions Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1, GT beat Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to set up a final with CSK. However, Hardik Pandya's men agonizingly lost the summit game.
GT were close to creating IPL history
GT won the title in their debut season, defeating Rajasthan Royals. However, they failed to replicate that against the more seasoned CSK team this season. Had they won the title this time, then they would have been the first team to win back-to-back titles in their first two IPL seasons. No other team has won two titles in their first two seasons.
Shubman Gill claimed the Orange Cap
Shubman Gill broke several records last season with his exceptional batting performances. The youngster slammed 890 runs at an average of 59.33. He slapped four fifties and three centuries this season with a strike rate of 157.80. He registered the second-most runs in an IPL season, only behind Virat Kohli, who compiled 973 runs in IPL 20216. Gill bagged the Orange Cap.
GT's bowling trio scripted this record
GT's trio of Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, and Mohit Sharma, occupied the top-three spots in the wickets tally. Shami won the Purple Cap with 28 wickets at 18.64, while the other two bagged 27 wickets apiece. While Rashid averaged 20.44, Mohit's average read a stellar 13.37. This was the first occasion of the top-three wicket-takers being from the same team in an IPL season.
Most powerplay wickets in an IPL season
Shami's tally of 17 powerplay wickets last year is the highest for a bowler in an IPL edition. Overall, GT claimed 27 powerplay wickets in IPL 2023 (ER: 8.58). Meanwhile, Mohit's tally of 13 wickets in the last four overs was only bettered by CSK's Matheesha Pathirana (18). GT's economy of 9.61 is the final four overs was the best for any team.
GT batters packed a punch in death overs
GT's run rate of 12.17 in the final four overs was the best for any team. Rashid (130 runs, striking at 216.66) and David Miller (259, striking at 145.5) were brilliant in these phases. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan (362 runs at 51.71), Wriddhiman Saha (371 at 23.18), Vijay Shankar (301 at 37.62), and Hardik Pandya (346 at 31.45) were GT's other key batters.
