Gujarat Titans have enough talent to be genuine contenders this season. The problem isn’t quality in isolation; it’s how the moving parts are affecting each other. A middle order that can’t accelerate when it matters. A top order structure so dependent on two players that one bad day reshapes the entire innings. Powerplay bowlers who aren’t taking wickets consistently, which directly reduces what Rashid Khan can do when he comes on. These aren’t separate issues. They’re a chain, and right now every link is pulling the others down.
The Middle Order Can’t Finish
Gujarat has been building decent platforms this season and then watching them produce underwhelming totals. The death overs, specifically overs 16 to 20, have been where those platforms get wasted. Opposition bowlers have worked out that wide yorkers and back of a length bowling outside off stump remove most of GT’s boundary options, and GT’s middle order hasn’t found a convincing answer.
The consequence goes beyond just the runs left on the table. When finishers don’t finish, the top order’s work feels irrelevant. A score of 160 that should have been 185 changes how the game is framed entirely. GT’s batting-friendly surface games have exposed this most brutally, because on flat pitches, the death overs are where matches get won or lost, and GT keep losing that phase.
IPL 2026 and the Powerplay Problem
The ripple effect of GT’s powerplay bowling failures reaches much further than the first six overs. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna haven’t consistently taken wickets upfront, and that matters for reasons that don’t always show up in the powerplay economy figures.
When opposition batters aren’t being dismissed early, they’re setting in. And when they’re set, Rashid Khan becomes a containment tool rather than a match-winning weapon. His best cricket comes against batters who are still finding their footing, where the uncertainty of the surface and his variations create genuine wicket opportunities. Brought in against batters who’ve already faced 15 or 20 deliveries and found their rhythm, he’s far less dangerous.
Gill and Sudharsan Carry Too Much
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have produced good cricket together this season. The issue is what happens the moment they don’t. When both are dismissed cheaply or both slow down under pressure, the rest of the batting unit doesn’t have the depth or the clarity of role to compensate.
Gill’s situation is particularly complicated. A captain who also has to carry the innings when things go wrong ends up stretched across two jobs simultaneously. He can anchor when the team needs an anchor, but anchoring affects his strike rate, which creates scoreboard pressure that cascades into the middle overs. The batting structure should exist to reduce the load on any individual. Right now, it’s concentrating that load almost entirely on two players, which is the kind of fragility that gets punished heavily when form dips even slightly.
Overseas Picks and Tactical Rigidity
GT’s overseas combination has shifted from game to game depending on conditions, and the constant rotation between Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, and Glenn Phillips has created a structural uncertainty that neither the batting nor the bowling can fully absorb. Going with an extra bowler thins the batting lineup. Going with batting depth weakens the pace attack. Neither version of the team looks complete.
What’s made this harder to fix is the tactical predictability that has grown alongside it. Opposition teams have begun reading GT’s plans early. Bowling changes arrive at expected moments. Batting approaches don’t adapt mid-innings when the original plan isn’t working. Gill is still developing as a captain in high-pressure T20 situations, and that inexperience is showing most in the moments where improvisation is required, and GT instead sticks with what they came in with. Talent alone won’t paper over that gap for much longer.
- What should GT fix first to turn their season around, the middle order or the powerplay bowling? Drop your take in the comments and follow for IPL updates.
FAQs
What is the main reason behind the Gujarat Titans’ poor form in IPL 2026?
Their inconsistent middle order and lack of Powerplay wickets have been the biggest factors.
Why is the GT middle-order problem so critical?
Because it prevents the team from finishing strong even after good starts.
How has Shubman Gill’s captaincy impacted the team?
Gill has shown promise, but tactical rigidity and pressure situations have exposed inexperience.
Which area should GT fix first to improve performance?
Strengthening the middle order and finding a consistent finisher should be the top priority.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.