Indian Premier League 2023 is yet to start with new excitement among cricket lovers. Gujrat Titans are once again expected to dominate the pitch with their premium cricketers among all the teams. GT IPL 2023 is supposed to have the strongest squad comparing other teams like Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, etc.
Gujrat Titans in 2023 IPL:
The defending champions, Gujarat Titans, did pretty well in the IPL 2023 Retentions and Auction. While they only let go of a few surplus players, the Auction not only covered that but also gave a few good players, who are going to alter the strongest playing 11 for Gujarat Titans for IPL 2023.
Among the few changes that Gujarat Titans made in the Auction, the purchase of Kane Williamson and Odean Smith will prompt many changes in their 11. Another important fact that the Gujarat Titans team is well adapted to is the Ahmedabad pitch.
The Ahmedabad pitch is often a surprise package. It turns cats and dogs in Test matches. But in the limited-overs matches that have been played here, it usually is a high-scoring pitch with the assistance of pacers. Given the situation at hand, what could be the strongest playing 11 that Gujarat titans can adopt for IPL 2023? Well, let’s find out in this article.
IPL 2023: Official Squad and Players List for Gujarat Titans (GT):
- Batters: Abhinav Manohar, David Miller, Kane Williamson & Shubman Gill
- Wicketkeepers: KS Bharat, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha & Urvil Patel
- All-rounders: B Sai Sudharshan, Darshan Nalkande, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Odean Smith, Rahul Tewatia & Vijay Shankar
- Bowlers: Alzarri Joseph, Joshua Little, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Pradeep Sangwan, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Shivam Mavi & Yash Dayal
Best Playing 11 for Gujarat Titans:
Openers: Shubman Gill & Wriddhiman Saha
GT IPL 2023 have a few options to explore when it comes to their opening combination. Among the openers that Gujarat Titans have, Shubman Gill should be their first-choice and confirmed opener. Gill was retained by Gujarat ahead of IPL 2022, and he delivered an excellent performance in IPL 2022 to make his claim stronger.
Apart from Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans have three good options: Wridhiiman Saha, KS Bharat, and Matthew Wade. Matthew Wade is a big name among the three options but could have been better in 2022. Saha, who replaced Wade as the opener, did pretty well in their limited opportunities. While KS Bharat is also an option, I think Gujarat Titans could stick to Saha as the opener to start with.
Middle-order: Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya & David Miller
Coming to the middle-order, Gujarat Titans should go with the same big names in the form of Hardik Pandya and David Miller. However, with the addition of Kane Williamson in the side, we should see him playing at number 3 with Hardik Pandya at four and David Miller at 5. This is a strong middle-order as compared to what we had seen in 2022.
Lower-order: Rahul Tewatia & Odean Smith
The lower order may pose a tough question for GT IPL 2023. They have Matthew Wade, who is naturally a finisher more than an opener. Then they have Odean Smith, who is not only a finisher but an important pacer that Gujarat can look up to. It’s a tough choice, but Gujarat Titans may go with Odean Smith, as he can also add up as a pacer if needed. Apart from Odean Smith, who could play at 7, Gujarat Titans have Spin all-rounder Rahul Tewatia for the finisher role.
Bowlers: Rashid Khan, Shivam Mavi, Mohammed Shami & R. Sai Kishore
Finally, coming to the bowlers, Gujarat Titans have four good options and three good all-rounders to fall back on. Gujarat Titans have Rashid Khan and R Sai Kishore as the spinners and Mohammed Shami and Shivam Mavi among the four first-choice options. It is in addition to pacers Hardik Pandya, Odean Smith, and spinner Rahul Tewatia.
IPL 2023 Best Predicted Playing 11 for Gujarat Titans (GT):
Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Odean Smith, Rashid Khan, Shivam Mavi, Mohammed Shami & R Sai Kishore.
Wrap lines:
However, there is no doubt that GT IPL 2023 is going to form the strongest team, but on the other hand, the other franchisees are still catching up. They are also utilizing their budget and expertise and preparing for the world’s best cricket premier league title.
