Ajay Jadeja, the former Indian batter has hailed the new IPL 2022 franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) for consistently performing well in their debut season in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. According to Ajay Jadeja, Gujarat just seems to be getting better and better with each game, conquering every challenge thrown at them.
GT stands atop the IPL 2022 standings with 16 points from only nine matches. They have tasted defeat in only one game against SunRisers Hyderabad so far. The franchise will next take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, 3 May.
Ajay Jadeja Said Gujarat Titans Play Better Than Expected Or Predicted
Previewing the clash, Ajay Jadeja said that the Gujarat Titans seem to be raising the bar higher with every win.
He stated: “Gujarat Titans play better than you expect or predict. They snatched wins in two to three games where defeat seemed imminent. Their last victory (over RCB) was the most convincing one. They were in cruise control. Shubman Gill hasn’t scored runs in a while. Hardik Pandya did not score in the last game. In spite of that, they won with calmness.”
Bowling first against Bangalore, Gujarat restricted their opponents to 170 for six. They then chased down the target in 19.3 overs with six wickets in hand. Rahul Tewatia remained unbeaten on 43 and David Miller on 39. Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans have registered eight wins from nine matches, five of them coming in a row after their six-wicket win over RCB to virtually seal their IPL 2022 playoff berth in their inception year.
The other day at the Wankhede, Rahul Tewatia smashed an unbeaten 40 from 21 balls, while Rashid Khan made an 11-ball 31 not out to pull off a heist against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Gujarat Titans will next play against Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Ajay Jadeja Said Gujarat Titans’ Changes Did Not Impact Them
While analyzing the franchise, Ajay Jadeja pointed out that Gujarat Titans has also made a lot of changes to their team. However, the same hasn’t impacted them in the manner that other sides like KKR have been affected.
Explaining the reason for the same, he said: “GT have made as many changes as the other sides, most of them forced ones. However, it did not impact them because this is not a team that plans and plays as per a set pattern. Whichever player comes in is expected to do what is best for the team and what he is capable of. This is the big difference between GT and other sides.”
Gujarat began IPL 2022 with the likes of Matthew Wade, Abhinav Manohar, Vijay Shankar, and Varun Aaron in the playing XI, all of whom have been subsequently replaced. With 16 points in the standings, Gujarat Titans are quite ahead of the rest of the competitors.
In fact, they are almost through to the playoffs and will now be looking to seal a place in the top two. Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya said that there is no hierarchy in the team, which he feels has been the biggest reason for Gujarat Titans’ success. Hardik Pandya is their leading run-getter (308 runs), while David Miller (276) and Shubman Gill (260) have also scored in excess of 200 runs. Mohammed Shami (14) and Lockie Ferguson (10) are their leading wicket-takers this season.