Defending champions Gujarat Titans finished the league stage of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the top of the table after winning 10 of their 14 matches.
However, Hardik Pandya was not adjudged the Man of the Match in any of those fixtures. Indeed, the all-rounder, an explosive batsman and a maverick bowler, has had a pretty ordinary IPL by his set standards.
Pandya has been coming in to bat at number 3 and this move to promote himself up the order has failed to reap dividends.
Against CSK in the Qualifier 1, he came in to bat after Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed cheaply for just 12 in the third over. Along with Shubman Gill, Pandya could have steadied the innings and set the platform for the likes of Dasun Shanaka, David Miller, and Rahul Tewatia to go for the big hits at the end.
However, he perished at just eight of seven balls after throwing away his wicket to Matheesha Theekshana looking for an aerial cut.
“Gujarat Titans are facing a batting conundrum at number 3. Hardik hasn’t been the one to live up to the expectations with the bat this year. But if he isn’t firing at number three, it will be tough for the team management to figure out whom to send on this position," Irfan Pathan told Star Sports ahead of Gujarat’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In that match, he came out at no.3 and scored eight to vindicate Pathan's stand.
Indeed, it is a critical position to bat in the T20 format, especially for someone like Pandya whose natural game is to go after the bowlers. In most cases, a batsman has to adapt his style according to the conditions and the team's target at one down and Pandya in his effort to do so seems to be struggling.
Hardik Pandya's massive drop in performance in 2023 compared to 2022!
In this edition of IPL, he has just got 297 runs in 14 innings at an average of 27.00 with a strike rate of 130.00. These are downright ordinary numbers from a batsman of Pandya's calibre.
The actual drop in performance will be highlighted if we compare the numbers to 2022 when he was one of the key factors behind GT's maiden IPL triumph. In the previous year, Pandya scored 487 runs in 15 innings at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 131.27.
| Year | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
| 2023 | 14 | 297 | 27.00 | 130.26 |
| 2022 | 15 | 487 | 44.27 | 131.27 |
Gujarat Titan's depth in batting coming to the rescue
Shubman Gill has been in incredible form throughout the IPL and is on the verge of claiming the Orange Cap from Faf du Plessis (730) with 722 runs in his kitty. He has smashed four fifties and two centuries to lead GT's batting from the front.
Vijay Shankar and Saha have also chipped in with important knocks at crucial junctures to help GT get over the line on several occasions.
Meanwhile, Rashid Khan who comes in to bat at no.8 has also been phenomenal with the bat in the death overs. His 79 off 32 balls against Mumbai Indians and 30 off 16 balls against CSK are testimony to his batting prowess. In fact, he averages 41.67 in this IPL with a strike rate of 223.21!
Pandya is having an ordinary IPL with the bat but GT have players who can step up and do the job. However, what wouldn't they give to have their captain play a decisive innings in what is a decisive game against Mumbai Indians on Friday.
