IPL 2026: GT’s Fast Bowling Unit Dominance Down To Clarity, Lots Of Hard Work, Says Prasidh

IPL 2026: GT’s fast bowling unit dominance down to clarity, lots of hard work, says Prasidh (Image Source: IANS)

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gujarat Titans fast bowler Prasidh Krishna says the dominance of the side's fast bowling unit in IPL 2026 is no accident, saying that this is simply the result of clarity and tons of hard work put in by a group that has known each other's game for a long time.

GT's fast bowling unit has been a force to reckon with this season, having taken 72 wickets - 15 more than the next best RCB and SRH (57 each), at a best-in-league economy rate of 8.9. They are also the only side in IPL 2026 to have five bowlers - Kagiso Rabada (21 wickets), Rashid Khan (16), Prasidh (14), Mohammed Siraj (13) and Jason Holder (13) - cross the ten-wicket mark.

"It's been great. We have known each other for quite some time now. It just gets easier when somebody is doing really well, somebody is very clear. I think it's an accumulation of having a lot of clarity, having worked hard together a lot and it's just showing on the ground today," Prasidh said in an exclusive conversation with IANS, ahead of GT taking on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

The engine room of GT’s bowling machine has been wreaking havoc in power-play, where Siraj and Rabada have bowled three overs each in five consecutive matches. In all, Rabada and Siraj have bowled through an entire power-play seven times in a single IPL season. The impact has been telling - GT have taken the most power-play wickets in this year (25), and have the best economy rate (8.6) in the six-over phase.

Crucially, when they take three-plus wickets in the powerplay, they have won five out of six matches. Prasidh, who bagged the Purple Cap last year via 25 scalps, acknowledged how the early breakthroughs from Siraj and Rabada ease pressure on those who follow.

"It definitely eases out when you know you have such bowlers that can create so much damage in the powerplay. You come in with a scoreboard reading two, three and four wickets and that definitely helps," he said.

Prasidh, who had a Player of the Match performance in GT’s earlier win over Lucknow Super Giants and eked out a tight one-run win for the 2022 IPL winners over Delhi Capitals last month, stressed that his role is to maintain the early pressure created by Rabada and Siraj.

"All that I could try and do is maintain that pressure that the two of them put in. Then, Rashid comes on, Jason comes on, Arshad comes on, whoever comes on - we just make sure we are in a situation where we give ourselves enough room to pick up wickets and keep the pressure going," he said.

A key addition to GT’s fast bowling collective has been Holder, who has taken 13 wickets in just six innings at a remarkable economy rate of 6.4 and a strike rate of 10.3, with his last three innings yielding 10 wickets at 5.3 runs per over. "He is very, very enjoyable I would say and also comes in with a lot of cricket under him. He has got a great brain, and has a lot of skill that he can put forward.

"It's just that I think - like I have been specifying about the fact that clarity is what has put us in this place, he comes in with a lot of clarity. He is a leader as well, has led teams before and walked around it. You can always bounce off ideas from everybody around in the team and Jason is one of them. It just puts all of us in a place of secure sense which only makes executing plans better," said Prasidh.

In GT’s eight wins this season, the Player of the Match award has gone to a bowler or bowling all-rounder seven times - Prasidh (once), Holder (twice), Rashid Khan (twice) and Rabada (twice). Hence, it’s no surprise that GT also has the best overall bowling economy in IPL 2026 (9).

The architect behind this cohesion, in Prasidh's eyes, is head coach Ashish Nehra. "He has been lovely. He is somebody who is always on his feet, trying to teach people, and trying to make sure they learn from his experiences.

“The chatter is always on and I think with Ashish Nehra around, you are always learning. When you sit down for a chai with him, when you are on the bus, or when you are on the ground having his favourite coconut water, there is chatter all the time.

“It's mostly something that I am very excited about and look forward to chatting with him all the time because everything that he says has a lot of meaning. It just helps you a lot as a bowler if you can pay attention to what he is saying," he elaborated.

On GT's having a three-game winning streak at their home ground, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where they recently bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad for just 86 in 14.5 overs on a seam friendly pitch, Prasidh was clear that the team's unity has been a driving factor.

"The domination is down to the team itself. It's not the conditions - definitely, Ahmedabad has been our home. We love playing there and we love the cheer that we get every single time - when there's a boundary hit or always on picking a wicket. It really is something that everybody looks forward to.

“We always have a chat saying, Ahmedabad, such a big ground, such a big crowd. That's definitely a factor for sure. But otherwise, if you have to bring it down to one thing, I think it's just the team. It's the unity and it's the way that we believe in each other is what has put us in a good situation," he said

As for GT's playoffs prospects, which are very bright via occupying second spot with 16 points, Prasidh remained measured but optimistic. "It's still in the reckoning. I would love to be in a place where I know how qualified I am to talk about all these things. But it's just a result of all the process and the hard work that the teams put in," he said.

The battles, however, have not always gone Prasidh’s way in the season, he conceded. "Well, every situation, every game has been tough. The challenges have been real. I have showed up every single time. I could say that I have taken it head-on. There have been situations where I have done pretty well.

“There have been situations where the batsmen have gotten the better of me. So, I think it's a mixed bag like any other tournament, like any other game where you get into battles where you know there is a possibility that someone can outplay you. It's still been the same and working really hard to make sure I am on the better side and I am on the winning side in the battles that I get into," he said.

On the game plan to bowl to fearless young batters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, Prasidh signed off by saying that age is not a factor. "The challenge is real. I think the age doesn't really mean anything for a cricketer. It's just about what impact he or she can create. Yes, they are young, they are fearless and have a lot of skill.

“There have been situations where the batsmen have gotten the better of me. So, I think it's a mixed bag like any other tournament, like any other game where you get into battles where you know there is a possibility that someone can outplay you. It's still been the same and working really hard to make sure I am on the better side and I am on the winning side in the battles that I get into," he said.

“They are great, great batters and are doing a really good job. As bowlers, our job is not to look at who the batter is or what he is doing. It's just about making sure you limit the damage, you pick a lot of wickets and put your team in a great situation."

Article Source: IANS