Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden has identified the Gujarat Titans’ (GT) middle-order instability as their biggest weakness ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. While praising their formidable top order, Hayden said that GT’s heavy reliance on Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan cost them consistency during the IPL 2025 season.
Hayden noted that despite having one of the tournament’s best opening combinations, the lack of support from the middle order left the team vulnerable in crunch situations. Apart from Jos Buttler, few players stepped up when early wickets fell, exposing the side’s dependence on their openers.
“Gujarat Titans have a fantastic top order with captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who were the highest-scoring opening pair last season. However, their middle order struggled heavily, with only Jos Buttler performing consistently. This over-reliance on their openers became a clear weakness,” Hayden said on JioHotstar.
He suggested that GT should release underperforming players and those who didn’t get sufficient opportunities, using the auction to rebuild their middle order and restore balance to the side.
GT had another solid season in 2025, finishing third in the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches and qualifying for the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. However, their campaign ended in the Eliminator, where they were knocked out by the Mumbai Indians.
GT’s top order remained their biggest strength, with Sai Sudharsan topping the run charts (759 runs) and Gill following with 650 runs. Buttler also made crucial contributions, scoring 538 runs.
On the bowling front, Prasidh Krishna impressed with 25 wickets in 15 games, earning the Purple Cap, while Sai Kishore picked up 19 wickets, providing control in the middle overs.
Despite these performances, Hayden believes strengthening the middle order will be key for GT to challenge for the title again in 2026.
