How GT’s hard-length strategy is overwhelming teams

Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna (AP Photo)

For much of the first half of IPL 2026, Gujarat Titans found themselves battling questions around intent, tempo, and whether they possessed enough batting explosiveness to survive in a tournament increasingly tilted towards power-hitting.Inside the dressing room, though, GT’s Prasidh Krishna says there was never a feeling that the squad lacked direction.“I think Gujarat Titans in general have always believed in what we have within us, and it’s always about what we think about each other,” Prasidh told TimesofIndia.com.“Honestly, in no sport do names actually determine how well teams do. Teams can have a lot of big names, they can have a lot of new guys, and all of that can be different. But what’s more important is who goes out and performs on a given day.”And twelve matches later, GT’s identity has centred on their relentless bowling attack, which has overwhelmed teams with discipline and hard lengths.That collective firepower has taken the Gujarat Titans from a side that won only three of their first seven matches into one now firmly pushing for a top-two finish.

GT’s resurgence has largely been built around a bowling blueprint that feels almost old-fashioned in a T20 era obsessed with yorkers and mystery variations.No team has taken more wickets in the powerplay this season than the Gujarat Titans’ 25, while they also possess the best economy rate in the phase. The central driving force behind that dominance has been the relentless pairing of Rabada and Siraj.For the first time in IPL history, a bowling pair has bowled through the entire powerplay in five consecutive matches – a role GT have repeatedly entrusted to Rabada and Siraj. Overall, the duo has bowled out all six overs together seven times this season, repeatedly dismantling opposition top orders before innings can settle.Rabada alone has taken 16 wickets inside the powerplay, while Siraj’s ability to strike in the first over has repeatedly handed GT immediate control of matches.But what makes the attack stand apart is not extravagant swing or yorker-heavy plans. Instead, GT’s seamers have consistently attacked hard lengths and back-of-length areas.Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, that strategy was on full display as Rabada and Siraj reduced SRH to 34 for 4 inside six overs, repeatedly cramping aggressive stroke-makers.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 bowl a particular ball and it gives you success, then as a smart bowler you keep repeating it,” he explained.“So if you see the number of wickets those 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 horses for courses; understanding what ball is actually working on that particular day and continuing with it.”And the impact of those early breakthroughs has rippled across the rest of the attack.“When five or six bowlers are bowling really well together, somebody is bound to pick up wickets. It’s been a different person stepping up on different days, and that is why you see Gujarat picking up a lot of wickets this year,” he said.For Prasidh personally, this season has been about evolution, rather than simply a continuation of last year’s Purple Cap-winning campaign.In IPL 2025, nearly half of his 25 wickets came through short or short-of-good-length deliveries. This season, he has refined that approach further through a slower bouncer that has repeatedly become his go-to option in pressure situations.Against Delhi Capitals, Prasidh twice trusted slower bouncers to close out the game. Against LSG – in his 4/28 – back-of-length bowling or slower short balls were the standouts.

“I came into this tournament thinking that last year went really well, and we could have gone all the way as a team. So coming into this season, I was thinking about what difference I could bring in and what more I could add to my skill set,” Prasidh said.“It’s not just that somebody suddenly turns up in a game and picks up a five-for. If someone is consistently picking wickets and doing really well, it means there’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes.”Another major turning point in GT’s season arrived through Holder’s inclusion. Initially benched during the opening phase of the campaign, Holder has since emerged as the balancing force of the attack, taking 13 wickets in just six innings while operating at an outstanding economy rate.His cutters, awkward bounce and ability to control tempo through the middle overs have strengthened an already dangerous bowling unit.GT’s attack now covers every phase seamlessly. Rabada and Siraj attack the powerplay. Holder and Prasidh squeeze the middle overs through hard lengths and slower balls. Rashid Khan, after a slow start, has rediscovered his rhythm to become a middle-over enforcer again.And overseeing it all has been the calm leadership of Shubman Gill.“He’s very clear about how he wants to go about things, and it’s the same when it comes to his captaincy as well,” Prasidh said.“When it comes to situations where you need to make decisions during a game, it becomes very easy for the bowler and the skipper to stand together, discuss what’s going to happen and then execute that decision.”In a tournament dominated by batting headlines and 200-plus totals, the Gujarat Titans have quietly built the most complete bowling identity in IPL 2026. And Prasidh is still hitting the deck and still evolving.