Three reasons why Gujarat can win the Indian T20 League 2022

The Indian T20 League 2022 debutant, Gujarat, on Tuesday, became the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. They beat Lucknow by 62 runs to seal a top-four finish.  The team has been very consistent throughout the season.

They have won nine out of their 12 games this season. Gujarat appears to be a serious contender for the Indian T20 League 2022 title. Here's a look at three reasons why Gujarat can win the tournament this season.

Hardik Pandya's leadership

Hardik Pandya, to everyone's surprise, has turned out to be a great leader for the team. The all-rounder has taken some brilliant decisions and has thrived with the expertise of Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten.

Prior to this season, the 28-year old had no experience of captaining a team. He also has played his game maturely with this added responsibility on his shoulders. He has scored 344 runs in 11 appearances this season and has an average of 38.22.

Match-winning batting performances

Most of the hitters have done well for the Gujarat at some point. Shubman Gill started his 2022 season strongly but faded in his next few games. He then redeemed himself with a good performance against Lucknow. With 384 runs in 12 games, he is the highest run-scorer for the team.

With 344 runs this season, Hardik Pandya is the team's second-highest run-scorer. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia, on the other hand, have been excellent finishers. This season, they have scored 332 runs and 215 runs respectively.

Consistent Bowling performances

Mohammad Shami has been the best bowler for the Gujarat team. He has taken 16 wickets in 12 games for the team. Rashid Khan, who had a difficult season, to begin with, has also recovered with impressive performances in recent games.

He is the second-highest wicket-taker for the team, with 15 wickets in 12 games. Alzari Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Dayal have also delivered impactful performances this season.