There is no Hardik Pandya in Gujarat Titans to tell the bowlers what to bowl: S Sreesanth

Former India cricketer S Sreesanth shared insights on how Gujarat Titans (GT) bowlers could benefit from the leadership of new captain Shubman Gill. His comments came after GT's defeat against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024 on March 26, Tuesday. Gill was named GT captain after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians and Sreesanth believes the captaincy change could be beneficial for GT.

During Hardik's tenure as captain, GT had success, winning the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and reaching the final in the subsequent edition, albeit losing to Chennai. However, the former fast bowler believes that under Gill's leadership, Gujarat Titans bowlers experience more freedom, allowing them to set their own fields and execute their strategies.

“There is no Hardik in Gujarat Titans to tell the bowlers what to bowl. Sometimes you need to give the bowler that freedom to bowl. This time the captain is Gill, and I’m sure Ashish bhai (Ashish Nehra) will say ‘let them bowl’. Bowlers will also take responsibility with a young captain and sometimes, this is the advantage of having a young captain,” Sreesanth said on FanCode. 

Also read: 'At No. 7 he basically becomes a tailender' - Mohammed Shami on Hardik Pandya's batting position at Mumbai Indians

GT suffers 63-run defeat against CSK

Despite making a stunning start as GT captain with a victory against Mumbai Indians, Shubman Gill failed to continue the momentum, as his side faltered in their second game against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. GT players showed promise but conceded 206 runs in the first innings after winning the toss and opting to bowl first. CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (46) and Rachin Ravindra (46) blazed all guns with a 62-run opening stand, followed by Shivam Dube'squick-fire 51 off 23 balls, enabling CSK to set a challenging target of 207 runs. 

Also read: IPL 2024: CSK vs GT Match 7 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

Rashid Khan was the pick of bowlers for GT, claiming two wickets. In pursuit of the mammoth target, GT struggled in front of CSK's bowling attack, managing only 143, and lost the game by 63 runs. Meanwhile, Deepak Chahar, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tushar Deshpande contributed with two wickets each for the hosts.