Ever since they joined the Indian Premier League (IPL) fold in 2022, Gujarat Titans (GT) have built a reputation as one of the smartest, most methodical franchises in the league. They built their squad around a strong bowling attack, an efficient top-order and the right balance of experienced Indian and overseas players.
Yet, when the dust settles on another season where they remained largely consistent before faltering in the final, GT will be left circling back to the same question they have been asking for a while now: how to build a middle-order that supports the opening duo?
Much of the Titans’ identity in IPL 2026 again revolved around two names that have now become synonymous with the franchise: Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Between them, they don’t just open the innings but also form the batting backbone.
Gill finished with 732 runs, Sudharsan with 722, and the opposition targeted their wickets more than those of anyone else in the team. Yet, beyond them, the transition between consolidation to late-innings explosion remained GT’s most glaring vulnerability throughout the 2026 edition.
Brittle middle
Much of that responsibility was expected to be taken by M Shahrukh Khan, acquired for Rs 4 crore at the pre-season auction. But the investment did not translate into impact.
In nine matches, he managed just 43 runs at a strike rate of 130.30, numbers that fell far short of expectations. Shahrukh did not feature in the playing XI after April 30, and GT were effectively carrying a passenger when they needed someone more reliable.
Rahul Tewatia, once celebrated as a finisher capable of changing matches in a matter of overs, also endured a subdued season. He scored 190 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 143.94, with just one fifty-plus score, that too in a losing cause. He did not bowl a single over in the entire season, thereby limiting his impact significantly; in fact he hasn’t bowled one since IPL 2023.
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What GT lacked most was not just runs, but intent. Washington Sundar offered stability, scoring 377 runs in 17 matches at 150.20. But while he held the innings together, he lacked the power game required to consistently provide the final flourish in the death overs.
Gill and Sudharsan’s consistency masked many of GT’s shortcomings, but on the few occasions when they were dismissed early, like in the final on Sunday, the lack of a dependable middle-order engine became far more visible.
Recurring problem
The numbers underline the issue. GT’s middle-order produced just 865 runs in IPL 2026, the fewest among all 10 teams, while their strike rate of 143.21 ranked only sixth. They hit just 79 fours and 33 sixes, comfortably the lowest six tally among all sides. By comparison, SunRisers Hyderabad’s middle-order scored 1194 runs and hit 69 sixes, while RCB’s middle-order amassed 1173 runs at a strike rate of 170.
More importantly, this is not a new problem. Since the 2023 edition, GT have repeatedly backed Indian players, but few have delivered consistently enough to make the role their own. Since 2023, Tewatia has led GT’s middle-order run charts with 564 runs, followed by Sundar’s 510. No middle-order batter has crossed even 600 runs across this period.
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The bigger concern is how little Gujarat have extracted from their overseas players in recent years. The likes of Glenn Phillips and Jason Holder have been used in different combinations, but none has become the dependable enforcer capable of routinely taking games away from opponents.
GT’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki, though, opted not to look too much into the issue right after the final. “So you’ve answered your question (about looking for an experienced Indian or overseas middle-order batter at the next auction), that’s a long way away. Let’s take the emotion that we have to deal with here, we’ll let that sink in,” Solanki said in the post-match press conference.
Looking ahead
Since their title win in 2022 and two finals in the subsequent four seasons, GT have earned the status of being a side who go about their business in an efficient manner. But T20 cricket demands something more than that.
The best teams are defined by balance, which runs through the XI. GT have an exceptional opening duo and arguably the most varied pace attack among all teams.
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Few outfits can match them in both those aspects, but the middle-order still lacks the consistency and firepower needed to decide games on its own. Finding that missing piece could be the difference between finishing runners-up and lifting a second IPL trophy in 2027.
(With stats inputs from Lalith Kalidas)
