Gujarat Titans have long been built around a power-packed top tier, and the pattern has been clear again in IPL 2026. When the opening batters pile on runs, the middle overs can struggle to get going—and when the workload shifts to numbers four through seven, the batting often looks short on rhythm. So far this season, GT’s middle order has delivered far fewer big moments than their top three.
GT’s IPL 2026 middle-order struggle
- In IPL 2026, GT’s batting unit at Nos. 4 to 7 has produced the fewest runs among all teams, scoring just 288.
- That same group also owns the second-lowest batting average in the competition, at 20.57.
- They have managed only one half-century collectively—also the joint-lowest tally in the league.
- To make matters tougher, this middle order has faced the second-fewest deliveries of any team, with 214 balls, exceeded only by Punjab Kings (202).
Those figures also tell a longer story. Since the start of IPL 2025, GT’s top three have been the standout performers across the ten franchises, leading the league in both runs and batting average. Meanwhile, the middle order has sat at the very bottom for those same two metrics, and has also faced the fewest balls in that period.
There have been moments when GT’s top order has done enough to paper over the gaps. At least one among Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler has reached a half-century during GT’s run of three consecutive wins earlier in IPL 2026, after the team began with back-to-back losses.
But the contrast has been brutal when the trio fails to deliver. In the game where none of Gill, Sai Sudharsan or Buttler made a half-century, GT collapsed. After starting that match, they were 40 for 3, and it marked the first time since the beginning of IPL 2025 that they had lost their top three inside the powerplay. From there, the chase faded quickly, and they were dismissed for 100 while trying to reach 200.
Following the defeat to Mumbai Indians, batting coach Matthew Hayden described the middle order as “exposed.” Speaking after that loss on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Faf du Plessis added that he could not see a clear match-winner in the group who could pull the side back once they were put under pressure.
“Current form, yeah. I’m not sure anyone’s getting a hundred,” du Plessis said. “But if you put that into other teams or out through the IPL, you could name a guy. A guy’s coming in and he’s got the potential to do it. He’s got form or whatever he’s got, he’s got the shots. That middle order right now, I’m not sure.”
Looking at the numbers within the middle order, Washington Sundar—despite not being a specialist batter—has been relatively productive, scoring 137 runs at a strike rate of 147.31. The bigger three have been below par: Rahul Tewatia has 49 runs at 116.66, Shahrukh Khan has 35 at 140.00, and Glenn Phillips has 67 at 124.07.
RCB’s middle-order blueprint awaits
When GT take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) next—on Friday—they will face a unit that has looked a different class of threat altogether. RCB’s middle order has offered the right blend of aggression and consistency, and this season they have posted the fastest scoring rate in the competition along with the second-best average.
RCB’s momentum has been driven by Rajat Patidar and Tim David. Patidar has been in strong touch, regularly clearing the ropes, while David has been consistently sending balls out of the ground. Jitesh Sharma has been the only one who has lagged in runs, but the impact of Patidar and David has more than compensated for that shortfall.
The match venue adds another layer. GT and RCB play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the ball tends to come off the bat quickly and the boundary is not too far away. Even so, RCB have an additional weapon: left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya. At this ground, he has taken five wickets at an average of 24.80, and he will likely look forward to targeting a GT middle order that has averaged 20 against spin this season.
For GT, the task is straightforward: their batting will need Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler to keep up their end of the bargain. The upside is that when GT’s top three are functioning at full speed, the runs come often enough to make the total difficult to chase.
