IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans remind me of Rajasthan Royals of 2008 under Shane Warne, says Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen sees shades of the title-winning Rajasthan Royals side of 2008 in Gujarat Titans, who have consistently found ways to win matches in the ongoing IPL season. The former swashbuckling batter feels the new entrants, like the 2008 RR side under the late Shane Warne, aren't the best team on paper but have a "great mentality". The Titans, led by India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, have emerged as the "team to beat" in only their maiden season.

They are perched on top of the points table, having lost just one game in eight outings. "At the moment, it looks like Gujarat Titans are going to be difficult to stop in the IPL. I didn't see them being at the top of the table when I first saw their squad, but they are on a roll," Pietersen wrote for Betway.

"It reminds me of Rajasthan Royals when they won the title under Shane Warne in 2008 – they weren't the best side on paper but everybody knew what they were doing and they had a great mentality," he added. The Titans, who looked thin on resources in the run-up to the season, have had different players winning games for them. "They are consistently finding ways to win, whether from a good, middling or bad position in games.

When you have that winning mentality, it becomes very difficult to break. "They're not inhibited. They're just doing what feels right instinctively.