The Gujarat Titans face a significant challenge ahead of IPL 2026 as their fragile middle order remains a pressing concern. Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has identified the team's excessive dependence on openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as a major vulnerability exposed during IPL 2025. While the Titans finished third in the league stage with nine victories in 14 matches and reached the playoffs for the third time in four seasons, their campaign ended in the Eliminator with a loss to Mumbai Indians. Despite strong performances from their opening pair and bowlers like Prasidh Krishna, who won the Purple Cap with 25 wickets, the middle order failed to deliver consistently. Only Jos Buttler provided reliable contributions among the middle-order batsmen. Hayden suggests that Gujarat Titans should release underperforming players in the upcoming mini-auction and invest in rebuilding their middle order to create a more balanced and competitive squad.
Middle Order Weakness and Rebuilding Strategy
Matthew Hayden emphasized that Gujarat Titans must address their middle-order fragility before IPL 2026. While openers Shubman Gill scored 650 runs and Sai Sudharsan topped the charts with 759 runs, the middle order struggled throughout the season. Jos Buttler was the only consistent performer with 538 runs. On the bowling front, Prasidh Krishna claimed 25 wickets earning the Purple Cap, and Sai Kishore took 19 wickets. Hayden recommended that GT release players who underperformed or lacked opportunities during the mini-auction. By freeing up budget space, the franchise can focus on acquiring quality middle-order batsmen to achieve better balance and reduce over-reliance on their opening pair for future success.
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