During the opening stretch of IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans were repeatedly drawn into debates about their intent, their tempo, and whether they had enough batting firepower to keep up with a league that increasingly rewards clean, power-driven striking. Inside the team’s environment, however, Prasidh Krishna insists the side never felt directionless.
“I think Gujarat Titans, as a whole, have always trusted what we bring to the table, and it’s also about how we think about one another,” Prasidh said. “Honestly, in any sport, team names don’t decide results. You can assemble big names or bring in fresh faces, and it can go either way. What matters is who actually goes out there and performs on the day.”
Twelve matches later, that message appears to have taken a visible shape. Gujarat Titans have leaned heavily into a bowling identity defined by discipline and consistent hard lengths, overwhelming opponents with pressure that begins early and rarely lets up. The effect has been clear: after winning only three of their first seven outings, GT are now positioning themselves strongly in the race for a top-two finish.
Much of the turnaround is built on a bowling blueprint that feels almost old-school in a T20 landscape obsessed with yorkers and surprise variations. No franchise has taken more wickets during the powerplay this season than Gujarat Titans, who also boast the best economy rate in that phase. At the centre of that dominance is the relentless combination of Rabada and Siraj.
For the first time in IPL history, a bowling duo has managed to bowl through the entire powerplay in five consecutive matches. GT have repeatedly entrusted the responsibility to Rabada and Siraj, and this season the pair has bowled all six overs together seven times—consistently breaking up opposition top orders before an innings can settle.
Rabada has been especially damaging, taking 16 wickets in the powerplay alone, while Siraj’s knack for striking in the first over has repeatedly given Gujarat Titans immediate control. Yet what sets the unit apart is not an overreliance on flashy swing or a one-dimensional yorker plan. Instead, the seamers repeatedly target hard-length areas and back-of-length positions, squeezing batters’ options from the start.
That approach was on full display against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Rabada and Siraj reduced SRH to 34 for 4 within the first six overs, repeatedly disrupting the rhythm of aggressive stroke-makers and denying them the space to build momentum.
Prasidh says the method is rooted in simplicity. “I’m not sure it’s only about hard lengths, but if you bowl a delivery and it keeps working for you, then as a smart bowler you repeat it,” he explained. “So when you look at the wickets those two have taken, it’s because they’ve ended up bowling a lot of those same successful deliveries. It’s as simple as that.”
He added that smart execution matters more than rigid patterns. “It’s really horses for courses—figuring out which ball is doing the job on a particular day and then sticking with it.”
Those early breakthroughs have also had a ripple effect across the rest of the bowling attack. “When five or six bowlers are delivering really well together, wickets will come for someone,” Prasidh said. “There’s been a different person stepping up on different days, and that’s why you’ve seen Gujarat pick up so many wickets this year.”
For Prasidh personally, the season has been about progression rather than simply repeating last year’s Purple Cap-winning form. In IPL 2025, nearly half of his 25 wickets arrived via short or short-of-good-length deliveries. This year, he has sharpened that thinking further with a slower bouncer that has become a frequent weapon in high-pressure moments.
Against Delhi Capitals, Prasidh twice used slower bouncers to help seal the contest. In his spell versus LSG—where he finished with figures of 4/28—his back-of-length deliveries and slower short balls stood out again, underlining how he has continued to refine his craft.
“I came into this tournament thinking last year went really well, and as a team we could have gone all the way,” Prasidh said. “So this season, I was thinking about what change I could bring and what else I could add to my skill set.”
He also pointed to the preparation that supports on-field breakthroughs. “It’s not that someone suddenly turns up and takes a five-for. If someone is consistently picking wickets and doing really well, it means a lot of work is happening behind the scenes.”
Another key shift in Gujarat Titans’ campaign came after Holder was brought into the mix. Initially he was left out during the early part of the competition, but since then he has grown into the balancing force of the attack. In just six innings, Holder has taken 13 wickets while maintaining an excellent economy rate. His cutters, awkward bounce, and ability to manage the tempo through the middle overs have further strengthened an already potent unit.
With that, GT’s bowling now feels seamless across every stage. Rabada and Siraj handle the powerplay. Holder and Prasidh compress the middle overs with hard-length deliveries and slower balls. Rashid Khan, after a slow start, has found his rhythm again and re-established himself as a firm middle-over enforcer. Above all of it sits the composed leadership of Shubman Gill, who helps keep execution steady under pressure.
“He’s very clear about how he wants things to be done, and that shows in his captaincy too,” Prasidh said. “When it comes to in-game decisions—moments where you need to act quickly—it becomes easier for both the bowler and the skipper. You can stand together, discuss what’s going to happen, and then carry out the plan.”
In a league where batting storylines and 200-plus totals dominate conversations, Gujarat Titans have quietly built one of the most complete bowling identities of IPL 2026. And for Prasidh, the work is still ongoing—he’s still adjusting his approach, still evolving, and still adding new edges to GT’s attack.
