Gujarat Titans' shortcomings laid bare, ‘limitations’ exposed: ‘They don’t look to do anything extraordinary'

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons the Gujarat Titans never look to do anything extraordinary.

Updated on: Apr 25, 2026, 11:11:35 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons the Gujarat Titans would never have been able to defeat the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Gujarat Titans started the game off well as opening batters Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan put on 128 runs for the opening wicket, but the visitors did not get the desired finish and had to settle for a total of 205/3. RCB then chased the total down with seven balls to spare, owing to half-centuries by Virat Kohli (81) and Devdutt Padikkal (57).

Rashid Khan took two wickets against RCB (REUTERS)

Ashwin reckons the Gujarat Titans have some limitations in their gameplay, but they still manage to put other teams under pressure thanks to their bowling attack, comprising Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan.

However, the former India spinner also believes that the Gujarat Titans have not been able to stay very consistent because of the dip in the form of Rashid.

Also Read: ‘He made INR 1 crore’: Sreesanth cuts all ties with Harbhajan, ‘blocks’ him on Instagram after slapgate takes fresh turn

“Gujarat Titans, we always talk about them. Their template is this. This team never looks to do anything extraordinary. But somehow, they can put pressure on the other teams because of their bowling attack. Their problem is that when Hardik Pandya won the title with GT, he had one champion bowler, Rashid Khan. The teams are now hesitant in going after him,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

“It is about his finish and whip in the action. From the time the arm speed has slowed, the mystery factor has been taken out of Rashid's bowling. He bowls in an attacking manner and never looks to bowl defensively. I feel the Gujarat Titans have limitations. I think Gujarat would never have been able to defeat RCB because RCB is an absolute bullet train. They always look to finish the game off early,” he added.

‘Action’

Ashwin also highlighted that Rashid is unable to complete his action, saying that this is natural when a player returns from an injury.

“He has to learn when to bowl that attacking ball and defend. The tournament started well for Rashid Khan; his action was going on nicely. In the last 2-3 games, his actions are not getting completed. This can happen when you have a sore back, or you are coming back from a surgery; these things can happen if the strength is not there,” said Ashwin.

The former India spinner also said that the Gujarat Titans weren't out of form with the bat, as they don't have the arsenal to score 220 or more. “If Gujarat Titans are 15-20 runs, I wouldn't be that worried because I expected this out of him. They cannot score more than this. I expected them to get 190-195, but Jason Holder managed to get a few shots away off the spinner in the final over,” said Ashwin.

With the win over the Gujarat Titans, RCB moved to the second spot in the points table with 10 points from seven matches. Kohli was adjudged as Player of the Match for his 81-run knock off 44 balls.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.