IPL 2023: Best Probable XI Of Gujarat Titans

The Titans made some smart picks in the 2023 mini-auction to bolster their ranks

The 2022 IPL champions Gujarat Titans will begin their title defense by hosting Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of IPL 2023. The team will be led by their captain, Hardik Pandya, who is returning to lead the side.

Gujarat Titans became the second team to win the IPL title in their debut season after Rajasthan Royals achieved the feat in the inaugural edition in 2008. The team defeated Rajasthan Royals in the final of IPL 2022 to lift their first IPL trophy.

For Hardik Pandya, this was his fifth time lifting the IPL trophy. He had previously won the title four times with Mumbai Indians, making him one of the most successful players in the history of the league. As the captain of Gujarat Titans, he will be looking to add another title to his impressive IPL record.

Squad

The Gujarat Titans, who are the current champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, had a successful retention and auction process for the upcoming IPL 2023 season. The team retained most of their players from the previous season and only released a few extra players.

In the auction, they were able to acquire some promising players who are likely to strengthen their playing eleven. Two of the notable purchases made by the Gujarat Titans during the auction were Kane Williamson and Odean Smith.

The addition of these players is expected to bring some significant changes to the team's strongest playing eleven for IPL 2023. In particular, Williamson, who is a world-class batsman, is expected to bring a lot of experience and stability to the team's batting lineup.

Another advantage that the Gujarat Titans have is their familiarity with the Ahmedabad pitch. Since Ahmedabad is the home ground of the Gujarat Titans, the team is well aware of the conditions and has a good record playing on that pitch.

This knowledge is likely to give them an edge over other teams in IPL 2023 who may not be as familiar with the pitch. Overall, the Gujarat Titans seem well-equipped to defend their title in the upcoming season.

Openers: Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha [wk]

Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha should retain their positions as openers for the Gujarat Titans team. They performed well in the previous season and played a key role in the team's championship victory. Gill was the second-highest run-scorer for the team, while Saha scored 317 runs at an average of 31.70. Additionally, Saha should also continue to serve as the team's primary wicketkeeper-batter.

Middle Order: Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, and David Miller

Gujarat Titans acquired Kane Williamson for ₹2 crore at the IPL 2023 auction and plan to play him at the No.3 batting position. Along with him, Abhinav Manohar and David Miller are expected to be part of the middle-order batting lineup for the team. In IPL 2022, Manohar scored 108 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 144, while Miller aggregated 481 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 142.73.

All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya (C), Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan

Gujarat Titans are expected to have Hardik Pandya batting at No.4, following his impressive performance in IPL 2022 as their top run-scorer and picking up wickets in the powerplay. In addition, the team is counting on the spin-bowling all-rounders, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan, who is set to lead the spin attack after taking 19 wickets last season. Tewatia is also expected to contribute with his finishing skills in the batting department.

Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph, and Shivam Mavi

Gujarat Titans have excluded Lockie Ferguson from their squad, and now Alzarri Joseph will be their primary overseas fast bowler. At the IPL 2023 auction, GT invested ₹6 crores to acquire Shivam Mavi, which indicates their preference for him in the playing XI. Mohammed Shami, who was GT's top bowler last season, will lead the pace attack after claiming 20 wickets in 16 matches.

Full probable playing XI:

Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha [wk], Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya [c], David Miller, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Shivam Mavi, Mohammed Shami, and Alzarri Joseph.

Probable Impact substitutes

R Sai Kishore and Yash Dayal

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