Prasidh Krishna Gujarat Titans (AP Photo)
For most of the first half of IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans have struggled with questions about intent, pace and whether they have enough batting explosiveness to survive in a tournament that is increasingly leaning towards power hitting.In the dressing room, however, GT’s Prasidh Krishna says there was never a sense that the squad lacked direction.“I think Gujarat Titans in general have always believed in what we have in us and it’s always about what we think of ourselves,” said Prasidh. TimesofIndia.com.“Honestly, in any sport, names don’t really determine how teams do. Teams can have a lot of big names, they can have a lot of new guys and it can all be different. But what’s more important is who goes out and performs on the day.”And twelve matches later, GT’s identity centered around their relentless bowling attack, which overwhelmed teams with discipline and hard lengths.This collective firepower has taken Gujarat Titans from a side that won just three of their first seven games to one, now pushing hard for a top two spot.GT’s revival has largely been built on a bowling plan that feels almost old-fashioned in a T20 era obsessed with yorkers and arcane variations.No team has taken more wickets in the power play this season than Gujarat Titans 25, while they also have the best economy ratio in the phase. The main driving force behind this dominance was the tireless pairing of Rabada and Siraj.For the first time in IPL history, a bowling pair have gone through the entire power play in five consecutive matches, a role GT has repeatedly entrusted to Rabada and Siraj. In all, the duo have bowled all six overs together seven times this season, repeatedly dismantling the opposition’s top order before the innings could settle.Rabada alone took 16 wickets in the over, while Siraj’s ability to strike in the first over repeatedly gave GT immediate control of matches.But what separates the attack is not extravagant swing or yorker-heavy plans. Instead, the GT seamers consistently attacked hard lengths and back lengths.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, this strategy was in full display as Rabada and Siraj reduced SRH to 34 for 4 in six overs, repeatedly knocking down the aggressive batsmen.Prasidh says the method is rooted in simplicity. “I don’t know if it’s specifically about hard lengths, but I would say as a bowler if you hit a certain ball and it gives you success, then as a smart bowler you keep repeating it,” he explained.“So if you’re seeing the number of wickets these two have picked up, it’s because they’ve ended up bowling a lot of those deliveries. It’s as simple as that.“It’s really about the horses on the courses; understanding what ball is really working on that particular day and following that.”And the impact of those early breakthroughs carried over to the rest of the offense.“When five or six bowlers are playing really well together, somebody has to take wickets. It was a different person on different days and that’s why you see Gujarat picking up a lot of wickets this year,” he said.For Prasidh personally, this season has been more about evolution than a mere continuation of last year’s Purple Cap-winning campaign.In IPL 2025, almost half of his 25 wickets came off short or short deliveries. This season, he further refined that approach through a slower bouncer that repeatedly became his go-to in pressure situations.Against Delhi Capitals, Prasidh twice trusted the slower bouncers to close the game. Against LSG – in his 4/28 – back-of-length bowling or slower short balls were constants.“I came into this tournament knowing that last year went really well and we could go all the way as a team. So going into this season I was thinking about what difference I could make and what more I could add to my skill set,” said Prasidh.“It’s not just someone suddenly turning up in a game and picking up a five. If someone is consistently taking wickets and doing really well, it means there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes.”Another major turning point in GT’s season came with the inclusion of Holder. Initially benched during the opening phase of the campaign, Holder has since proved to be a balancing force in the attack, taking 13 wickets in just six innings while operating at an excellent economy rate.His cutters, clumsy bounce and ability to control pace in the middle overs strengthened an already dangerous bowling unit.GT attack now smoothly covers every stage. Rabada and Siraj attack the powerplay. Holder and Prasidh will push the middle overs through hard lengths and slower balls. After a slow start, Rashid Khan rediscovered his rhythm to become a middle-order enforcer again.And all this was overseen by the calm leadership of Shubman Gill.“He is very clear about how he wants to do things and it is the same with his captaincy,” Prasidh said.“When it comes to situations where you have to make a decision during the game, it’s very easy for the bowler and the skipper to stand together, discuss what’s going to happen and then make that decision.In a tournament dominated by batting headlines and 200-plus totals, Gujarat Titans have quietly built the most complete bowling identity in IPL 2026. And Prasidh keeps hitting the decks and keeps evolving.
