Gujarat Titans won the IPL title last season.
In their maiden appearance, the Hardik Pandya-led side lifted the coveted IPL trophy by defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final.
Ahead of the IPL 2023 season, starting March 31, GT pacer Shivam Mavi has said that the defending champions have bolstered their bench strength while also conceding that they had a weak bench strength last year.
"Honestly there is no pressure (on Gujarat Titans). The kind of cricket we played last year wherein everyone played their respective roles, similarly, this year too we would want to play our roles. But this year we also have bolstered our bench strength, we felt we lacked on this front so we worked on it," Mavi told the media during an interaction on Saturday (March 25) evening.
The right-arm fast bowler also revealed that he is developing a "special delivery" for the upcoming IPL season.
"I have planned a special delivery for this IPL, will not mention here what it is but hopefully I am able to execute it and then I will talk about it. I am at 99 per cent with it, the work is still in progress," he said.
Mavi is also confident of making a mark with the bat in the lower order.
"You would have witnessed that (lower order) batting has become very important for all teams in the last 1-2 years, irrespective of the teams whether it is your country or IPL or any domestic side.
"If you are able to execute 2-3 hits then it is very beneficial to your side. I am backing myself to score say 30-35 runs towards the end with the tail-end batters," he stated.
Mavi said he has worked hard on his fitness to overcome some major issues.
“I have focussed a lot on my batting over the last two years, I have improved a lot as well. I am trying to work as hard as possible to be useful to my team. I have focussed on managing my workload. Since I am able to maintain that, I am playing cricket regularly,” he said.
He added, “I have worked on my hitting. I always used to bat well but could not hit those sixes easily. I have worked very hard on that and have got some good returns too. I have also put in a lot of work on my fitness. My glutes and core were weak, but now I am feeling very strong.”
He also showered rich praise on his franchise and India T20I captain Hardik Pandya.
“Hardik bhai never pressurises young players; he only backs them. There is a very light environment in the Gujarat camp and whenever a youngster comes in, he experiences a free setup. When the atmosphere is good then players are naturally able to perform.”
(With PTI Inputs)