Gujarat Titans: History, Home Ground and Profile of the IPL Franchise

Gujarat Titans, known as GT, are one of the two franchises added to the Indian Premier League for the 2022 season, when the competition expanded from eight to ten teams. Representing the state of Gujarat and based in Ahmedabad, the team won the title at its first attempt, an achievement matched by only one other side in the league’s history.

Formation

In October 2021 the Board of Control for Cricket in India held a bidding process for two new teams. The Ahmedabad franchise was awarded to CVC Capital Partners, an international private equity firm, and the team was later named Gujarat Titans. The league’s expansion brought the total number of teams to ten and increased the number of matches in a season to seventy-four. The squad was assembled through a draft of players before the 2022 auction and a subsequent mega-auction.

Home ground

The team plays at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, formerly the Sardar Patel Stadium and Motera. After a major redevelopment the venue reopened with a capacity of around 130,000, making it the largest cricket stadium in the world by capacity. It hosted the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The ground has a mix of red-soil and black-soil pitches, which can produce different conditions from match to match.

The 2022 title

In their first season, Gujarat Titans finished top of the league table and went on to win the final against Rajasthan Royals at the same stadium. The team was led by Hardik Pandya in that season. The victory made Gujarat only the second side, after Rajasthan Royals in 2008, to win the IPL in their debut campaign.

The 2023 season

The team reached the final again in 2023, where it lost to Chennai Super Kings in a rain-affected match that was completed on the reserve day. Reaching two finals in two seasons established the Titans as an immediate contender in the competition.

Place in the league

As one of the newest franchises, Gujarat has built its identity around a modern approach, with an emphasis on analytics and balanced squads. The club’s supporters fill one of the largest stadiums in world cricket, which gives home matches a distinctive scale.