IPL 2022 Exclusive: Strongest Predicted Playing 11 for Gujarat Titans (GT)

Lack of good Indian batting options, the key highlight as we look at the strongest predicted playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022.

One of the two new recruits to the prestigious IPL tournament, the Gujarat Titans will make their debut this year in a 10-team format. The Ahmedabad based franchise had named their team as Gujarat Titans; probably the simplest of the names one can imagine. What’s more, their logo looks, even more, simpler with one having a misinterpretation with that of simple WordArt.

Even before the Mega Auction had begun, Gujarat Titans made some noise. They retained 3 players for a whopping 38 Cr; the most any franchise spent on retention on their top 3 players. Hardik Pandya and Rashid were retained for INR 15 Cr each and Shubman Gill was retained for INR 8 Cr. In addition, Hardik Pandya was also announced as the captain for this year. 

If we talk about the Auction, you can safely say that Gujarat Titans were pretty below-average. Led by the veteran bowler, Ashish Nehra, their strategy looked out of sorts with no focus on balancing the squad. The team didn’t get any good Indian Batter in the Auction, and they spent INR 9 Cr in acquiring the services of out-of-form Rahul Tewatia.

So, now that the Auction is over and we have the squad in front of us, let’s look at the strongest predicted playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022? Before that, let’s also look at the complete squad of Gujarat Titans. Also, please note, the playing 11 is selected keeping 4-5 batters, minimum 2 all-rounders, 1 wicket-keeper, and minimum 3 pace bowlers in mind. 

IPL 2022 Final Squad for Gujarat Titans (GT):

Batters and WKs: Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Gurkeerat Singh, Jason Roy, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade (WK) & Wriddhiman Saha (WK)

All-rounders: Alzarri Joseph, B Sai Sudharshan, Darshan Nalkande, Dominic Drakes, Hardik Pandya (C), Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia & Vijay Shankar

Bowlers: Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Yash Dayal, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore & Rashid Khan

Openers: Shubman Gill & Jason Roy

If we look at the options Gujarat Titans have for the opening slot, it is a no brainer to see Shubman Gill opening the innings alongside Jason Roy. Had it been IPL 2022, Jason Roy would have found it difficult to even make it to the squad, forget playing 11. But such is the selection of Gujarat Titans that Jason Roy is in contention of playing all matches for them. 

With Shubman Gill’s transfer to Gujarat Titans, the youngster would have to bear more responsibility as an opener. He has been retained as a potential leader for the future. He was KKR’s best batter in the last three years combined, and would want to maintain his consistency in Gujarat Titans too. 

Middle-order: Wriddhiman Saha (WK), David Miller & Abhinav Manohar 

Coming to the middle-order, this is where Gujarat Titans would struggle the most. They have to play a wicket-keeper in the form of Wriddhiman Saha or Matthew Wade. If they play Matthew Wade, David Miller will be left out and one of Vijay Shankar or Wriddhiman Saha will continue to play. But David Miller is a better batter as compared to Wade. Hence, a combination of Saha + Miller seems stronger as compared to Wade + Shankar. 

Meanwhile, one name that caught everyone’s attention was that of Abhinav Manohar. The talented finisher for Karnataka went for a solid INR 2.6 Cr in his debut IPL season. He performed really well for Karnataka in his debut season, and looking at the potential, was also bid high by Gujarat Titans. Luckily for Abhinav, the batting is so thin for Gujarat Titans that he will definitely play at 5 or 6 for them.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia & Jayant Yadav

Talking about the all-rounders, Gujarat Titans have decent options on the table. Led by hard-hitting, Hardik Pandya, Gujarat Titans also have the services of Rahul Tewatia and Jayant Yadav for the all-rounder spot. However, the question GT will have is whether to play 3 spinners or go with a speedy option like Yash Dayal, Varun Aaron, etc. From a strong 11 point of view, Jayant adds more value to the team. 

Given that Hardik Pandya is also the captain, he will probably be flexible in the batting-order, and would usually come to bat depending on the match situation. Meanwhile, how the one-season wonder, Rahul Tewatia performs for Gujarat Titans is yet to be seen. He showed his talent in the 2020 edition, but after a few good cameos, he went under the wire.

Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami & Lockie Ferguson 

This is an area that seems a bit strong for Gujarat Titans. Talking about their top 3 bowlers, we have the Afghanistan Magician Rashid Khan leading the bowling attack. He would be equally supported by the pace of Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami. The 12 overs of this trio would be extremely crucial as it can change the course of the game. The remaining 8 overs is where Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia, and Jayant Yadav will have to make valuable contributions. 

In addition to these 3, Gujarat Titans also have two more good overseas pacers in the form of Dominic Drakes and Alzarri Joseph. There are also potential Indian pacers in the ranks like Darshan Nalkande, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, and Yash Dayal. There’s definitely potential here, but will have to wait for their turn to feature in the playing 11.

Strongest Predicted Playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022:

Shubman Gill, Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), David Miller, Hardik Pandya (C), Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Jayant Yadav, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami & Lockie Ferguson 

So, that completes the best predicted playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022. The team has a few good starters in their 11, but what type of combination will Hardik Pandya and Co play will be interesting to see. So, barring the above-mentioned strongest playing 11, Gujarat Titans can also look at the following combinations. 

Other Playing 11 Options for Gujarat Titans:

• Matthew Wade for David Warner and Vijay Shankar for Wriddhiman Saha – This gives an additional bowling option
• R Sai Kishore for Jayant Yadav to boost the spin bowling attack
• Yash Dayal, Varun Aaron, Pradeep Sangwan or Darshan Nalkande for Jayant Yadav for pace-friendly wickets
• Gurkeerat Singh for Abhinav Manohar if Team prefers more experience as a finisher 

Thanks for reading! What’s your playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com

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ALSO READ: IPL 2022: Final Squad List for all 10 Teams post Mega Auction

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