The ongoing 16th edition of the Indian Premier League has been very competitive so far, with a total of seven teams having 10 or more points. It has made the tournament more interesting because it is very hard to predict which of the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs.
However, the defending champion Gujarat Titans have carried on the momentum they had in the last season into this season and are currently sitting at the top of the table. GT has won six games out of nine with a NRR of +0.532.
Meanwhile, LSG and CSK are second and third with 11 points each, while RR, RCB, MI, and PBKS all have 10 points. It looks like GT can be the first team to qualify for the next stage, but they have some tough teams to face in the remaining games.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri reckons that Hardik Pandya and his men have done a tremendous job so far and will defend their title if they continue to play in a similar fashion. In a discussion on Star Sports, he also said that GT has carried on the same performance from the last season and has 7-8 players who are performing consistently.
Shastri said, “Looking at the current form and team standings, I believe that Gujarat will win the trophy. There is consistency and flexibility in this team, and there are seven or eight players who are performing consistently. The players in this Gujarat side complement each other.”
Though the defending champion suffered a defeat in their last game, they are still sitting at the top of the table. GT suffered a 5-run loss against the Delhi Capitals while chasing a low score of 130. But Gujarat has ticked all the boxes so far in this competition with their overall performances. Thus, it won’t be a big surprise if they end up winning the IPL for the second time in a row. Gujarat will face the Rajasthan Royals in their next game on Friday in Jaipur.