'Lack A Quality Indian Middle-Order Player': Tom Moody On Where It Went Wrong For GT

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Tom Moody believes Gujarat Titans need a quality Indian middle-order batter to address a significant gap after their IPL 2025 Eliminator loss to Mumbai Indians.
Former Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Tom Moody believes that the Gujarat Titans (GT) need a quality Indian middle-order batter to address a significant gap in their lineup. This issue became evident after their 20-run loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator.
GT's impressive IPL 2025 campaign was driven by their top-three batsmen: captain Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler. As a result, their middle order had limited opportunities to bat during the league matches.
During the chase of 229 in New Chandigarh, following the dismissals of Washington Sundar and Sudharsan, GT's middle-order batsmen—Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, and M Shahrukh Khan—struggled to maintain the required run rate against a formidable MI bowling attack. Consequently, the IPL 2022 champions were eliminated from the competition.
Tom Moody remarked, 'I group Rutherford with Tewatia. They have similar roles, though they are different in their style—one being more of a six-hitter. However between them, they faced 26 balls today and managed to hit only one six. That, to me, explains everything."
He added, 'They bat at the end of the innings where boundaries are crucial—either fours or sixes, not singles. This is what they train for. That was their moment to hit at least three more sixes, which might have made a difference."
Moody further explained, 'Washington stepped up for that role in this match, but they lack a quality Indian top-order or middle-order player to fill that gap. Finding such a player would significantly improve the team's balance."
Varun Aaron, the former India fast bowler who was part of the GT setup when they won the IPL 2022 title in their debut season, noted the absence of a middle-order batsman who could replicate David Miller's performance from that season.
Aaron said, 'Tewatia usually comes in during the last two or three overs to play a crucial role. However, he has never been the player to consistently build an innings from earlier on. David Miller was that player—he would enter with six or seven overs to spare, build his innings, and finish strongly."
He concluded, 'In 2022, Miller was reliable, ensuring he did not miss any slot balls, which was a key factor in GT's success. This year, Rutherford has not been able to replicate that performance consistently."
(with PTI Inputs)
First Published:
May 31, 2025, 14:11 IST