How Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans Emerged As IPL 'Title Favourites' Again

When the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans started their journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, one would have been pardoned for not considering them as serious contenders for the title. For IPL has not been kind to 'new teams' in the past. Be it Kochi Tuskers Kerala (2011), Sahara Pure Warriors (2011), Gujarat Lions (2016) or Rising Pune Supergiant (2016) none of the teams that got added in the cash-rich could get any title success. Pune came closest as it finished runners-up in the 2017 edition. So, when GT and Lucknow Super Giants got introduced in 2022, one would not have considered them to go the distance right in the first season.

What happened, however, was quite the opposite. LSG and GT both entered the playoffs, while GT went the distance and won the IPL 2022 by defeating Rajasthan Royals. This time too, both, the teams showed amazing consistency and finished among the top three in the league phase. The Hardik Pandya-led GT has played at a different level altogether. They were the first team to enter the playoffs, and finished the league stage as the No. 1 team.

It is not a mere fluke that GT have become a force to reckon with, challenging the might of the older teams.

Eye for talent

Right from the onset, GT's player mix has been awesome. Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega-auction, GT put their bet on three stars. They picked Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, and Shubman Gill. At that time, Pandya was recovering from an injury, with his place in the Indian team not certain, while Gill was yet to establish himself as a T20 star. However, the GT management believed in their talent and gave them a chance. In Rashid Khan, they had one of the most impactful bowlers in the history of the tournament.

Their other player