IPL Final : Factors that worked for Gujarat Titans from auctions to on-field tactics

With the end of the league stage and qualifier matches, we are now onto the final game of IPL. Throughout the tournament, we saw many nail-biting matches and some stunning performances. Some teams gave their best performance during the season, whereas some reputed teams failed to provide justice to their reputation. This year, two new teams were introduced to the league, which increased the excitement levels and made the tournament more difficult.

Let us look at the team's journey this season and the factors that worked for the Gujarat Titans to become the finalist in the world's toughest T20 league!

A successful squad build-up!

As the team was newly introduced this season, it was a tough challenge for the team management. However, the perfect player selections in the mega auction gave the team a solid core to get into the tournament. Before the mega auction, the acquisition of skipper Hardik Pandya, leg spinner Rashid Khan, and opener Shubhman Gill were perfect. With these three match-winners, the team had to add a handful of impactive players to assemble an ideal playing eleven. The team paid INR 9 crores for Indian uncapped all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, and many considered this the worst buy by the franchise. However, Tewatia justified this pick by playing match-changing knocks with the bat.

The pick of David Miller turned out to be the best one by the franchise. They bagged the South African star batter at his base price, and he turned out to be one of the match winners for Gujarat. Whereas the pick of Ferguson and Rashid was capable of inflicting severe damage with the ball. There had been a lot of variety in their bowling attack, allowing them to pick and choose their resources based on the conditions and the opposition.

Hardik Pandya at number three!

Having good players is not enough for any team as on-field tactics are equally important along with the auctions. One of the best things that skipper Hardik Pandya did was promoted to number three. In the initial phase, the middle order was a big concern for the team as Vijay Shankar failed catastrophically. However, Hardik turned out to be a great batsman at number three for his team. Pandya is currently the leading run-scorer for his team, with 453 runs in 14 matches. He has scored this run with an impressive average of 45.30 and an appreciable strike rate of 132.84. The skipper has also scored four half-centuries and finished some crucial matches for the team.

Saha's successful stint as an opener for GT

The Indian wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha replaced Matthew Wade in the playing eleven for Gujarat. This turned out to be a success out of the many on-field tactics that Gujarat gambled. Saha has provided a great start to the franchise and Shubhman Gill. Despite the struggle of his partner-Shubhman Gill, Saha played some aggressive knocks and never let the opponents dominate them. His quick innings in the powerplay overs significantly boosted Gujarat's batting line-up. In the ten matches Saha has played so far, he scored 312 runs with an impressive average of 34.67. His steady and impactful opening became one of the reasons for Gujarat's success.

Giving opportunity to the young gun: Sai Kishore

Gujarat played a massive gamble in the mega auction by roping the young left-handed bowler Sai Kishore for INR 3 crores. The youngster didn't disappoint the franchise as he had a great debut in the league. In his first match, Sai Kishore clinched two wickets by conceding just seven runs in the overs he bowled against LSG. In the first qualifier, the left-handed off-spinner from Tamil Nadu also dismissed well-settled Sanju Samson, which received huge praises. Although the youngster just played four matches this season, his bowling was enough to appeal to many!

Gujarat proved that with some splendid cricket displays, a team needs to have a perfect team balance despite being a new team. The Titans will now lock horns against Sanju Samson led Rajasthan Royals for the trophy. It will be an exciting battle for every cricket fan, and we can surely hope for some great cricket.