In their farewell IPL season, Gujarat Lions didn't get the fairytale ending that they would have wanted. After finishing top of the table in IPL 2016 and making the playoffs, the Lions' IPL 2017 campaign didn't go according to plan as they finished seventh with just four wins from their 14 matches.
The fact that they didn't finish with the wooden spoon will come as scant consolation to captain Suresh Raina, who was impressive once again, finishing the group stages as the fourth-leading run-getter in the tournament. For a variety of reasons, the season didn't go as the Lions would have wanted, so let us take a look at the things that went awry for Raina's side.
Time taken to find the right combination
At the start of IPL 2017, Gujarat Lions used their four overseas slots to play four international openers in the side. Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith batted in the middle-order and they didn't have a single overseas all-rounder or bowler in the side. That affected their bowling immensely and failed to get wins on the board.
It wasn't after a few matches that the Lions managed to find the right combination with Andrew Tye in the side along with two specialist openers. Tye's injury complicated matters even further but also meant James Faulkner was back in the fold, which gave the side a better balance and flexibility.
Irfan Pathan was brought in as a replacement and could have offered the side the flexibility that they craved with both bat and ball. Not only was his arrival delayed but he didn’t play a great deal either once he was brought in.
The time taken to find the right combination also affected their start to the tournament as they didn't notch up too many wins at the start. The fast start that Mumbai Indians got off to this season meant that the losses towards the end didn't matter as much but the Lions didn't give themselves that luxury.
Lack of settled opening combination
When you already have three international openers in the side and you go out and sign another in the auction, when there are other areas that need improving, the early signs don't bode well. Nor does the fact that five different opening combinations was used in the space of 14 matches.
In a format where a fast start is imperative, chopping and changing the players who provide doesn't make a great deal of sense. Especially when you are talking about international openers who have an established track record. Gujarat Lions started the tournament with the opening combination of Jason Roy and Brendon McCullum and finished it with Dwayne Smith and Ishan Kishan.
In between, McCullum and Smith, Finch and McCullum, Kishan and McCullum had also opened the innings for Gujarat Lions in IPL 2017. Although their batsmen weren't the reason behind their seventh-placed finish, chopping and changing openers just because you have options didn't help their cause either.
Performance of spinners
Among all four teams that made it through to the playoffs, there is one common factor. The presence of a world-class spinner, who either played the role of containing runs or picking up wickets.
Rising Pune Supergiant (Imran Tahir), Mumbai Indians (Harbhajan Singh and Krunal Pandya), Kolkata Knight Riders (Kuldeep Yadav, Sunil Narine) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rashid Khan) all had a slow bowling option that the lions lacked throughout the tournament. However, Lions didn't have that luxury.
Shivil Kaushik had a forgettable tournament before he was replaced by Ankit Soni, who hadn't played a single before he turned out Gujarat Lions. The experienced Shadab Jakati didn't get an opportunity to shine but the biggest disappointment was the form of Ravindra Jadeja.
While the Indian all-rounder was in sublime form in the field, he wasn't his usual self with the ball. Not only was he not amongst the wickets, but he also leaked plenty of runs. In 12 matches, his five wickets in the tournament came at an economy rate in excess of 9 and that didn't help at all.
Injuries to key players
Even before the start of the tournament, Gujarat Lions knew that they would be without the service of Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja for the first week of the tournament. While Jadeja only missed two matches, Bravo, who injured himself during the Big Bash League, took no part in the tournament at all.
The loss of Dwayne Bravo was one that Lions never really recovered from as they simply didn't have someone of similar ilk who could contribute with both bat and ball. And when they finally got around to playing Andrew Tye, he was impressive and picked up 12 wickets in six matches including a hat-trick on debut but he too got injured and was ruled out of the tournament.
The injury bug bit them once again when one of their in-form batsmen, Brendon McCullum was ruled out. Any side would find it difficult to cope without not one, not two, but three integral part of their side and the Lions were no different and that was something they could do nothing about.
Fragile bowling line-up
With the injury cloud over Dwayne Bravo, Gujarat Lions knew that they needed the rest of their bowling attack to step up if they were to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, that simply didn't happen and the perfect example of that was their leading wicket-taker from IPL 2016, who was a pale shadow of his former self.
Dhawal Kulkarni picked up 18 wickets at an economy of under 7.5 last season but only managed three from six matches in IPL 2017. Ravindra Jadeja picked up just five wickets all season, Pradeep Sangwan, Praveen Kumar, Ankit Soni were all tried at various points during the season but none of them made any impact.
James Faulkner was disappointing and their only bright spark aside from Andrew Tye, who unfortunately got injured, was Basil Thampi. Although the 23-year-old from Kerala was amongst the wickets (11 in 12 matches), when you are relying on a bowler who hadn't played in the IPL before this season, you know you are in trouble.
It didn't help that despite the experience that they had in the bowling department, there wasn't a leader in the bowling line-up. And the only time they looked like winning, was when Tye was firing on cylinders and took responsibility, which unfortunately didn't last for too long as injury meant he played just six matches.
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