"Hardly Got To Bat": GT Assistant Coach Parthiv Patel Defends Team's Middle-Order

Following the thrilling win in a rain-curtailed match against Mumbai Indians (MI), Gujarat Titans (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel defended the performance of his side's middle-order, saying that they have hardly got to bat in the presence of its dominant top three of skipper Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler and they seek to improve as tournament progresses. It was a rollercoaster ride for GT and MI fans as a target of 156 runs was reduced to 147 runs in 19 overs during a match curtailed by rain, which saw the 2022 champions emerge as victors in a last-ball thriller.

The match saw GT acing the run-chase, then almost fumbling it with a wobbly middle-order performance, and then sealing a win thanks to some fine hits by Rahul Tewatia and Gerald Coetzee down the order.

Speaking during the post-match presser, Parthiv said about the middle-order, "They hardly got a chance to bat. Today was the only day when none of the top three got a fifty. It is just one odd game, but we should have made some right decisions. We are not the team who are happy with just two points, but we want to improve."

In the middle-order, Sherfane Rutherford (229 runs in eight innings at an average of 38.16, strike rate of over 159, best score of 46), Shahrukh Khan (90 runs in eight innings at an average of 30.00, with best score of 36, strike rate of over 183), Rahul Tewatia (67 runs in nine matches at an average of 11.16, strike rate of 191.42, best score of 24*) have achieved varying degrees of success.

Parthiv also said that the team is taking things one game at a time and is not thinking about the playoffs.

Hailing groundsmen for their efforts in making sure that the game could achieve a proper outcome, he said, "The groundsmen did well