GT spent INR 10.95 crore to fill in their remaining five slots in the IPL 2026 mini auction.
The Indian Premier League 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans (GT), were already settled with a strong core before turning up for the IPL 2026 auction. With only five released players and a trade ahead of the retention deadline, the franchise did not have much to worry about at the auction table.
They filled in those five slots with the third-lowest purse of INR 12.9 crore, acquiring domestic talents like Ashok Sharma, Prithviraj Yarra, and a few overseas signings, including Jason Holder, Tom Banton, and Luke Wood. But following the event, it appears that GT might have missed out on plugging a major gap in their lineup for the upcoming IPL 2026.
After trading out Sherfane Rutherford to the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), the management’s primary focus was expected to be on roping in a smashing big-hitter to fill in the Caribbean batter’s spot in the GT middle order.
The Titans possess a secure top order in the form of captain Shubman Gill, last season’s highest run-scorer (Orange Cap winner) Sai Sudharsan, and England’s star wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler. Each of their top three had enjoyed a purple patch in the IPL 2025, notching up 500-plus runs in the edition.
But in the limited scenarios, when their top-order failed to provide an usual brisk start, the GT middle order, consisting of Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, and Washington Sundar, had struggled to register a fighting total on the board. Moreover, in the absence of Rutherford, who had contributed 291 runs in 11 innings, striking at 157.29, the side was more in need of a big-hitter to accelerate the run rate in the final overs.
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Notably, the management has included veteran Caribbean all-rounder Jason Holder in the GT squad for INR 7 crore. The 34-year-old’s batting stocks also witnessed a rise in recent times, with some blazing cameos down the order in the latest Abu Dhabi T10 League. While representing the Quetta Qavalry, he smacked 52 runs in four innings at a blistering strike rate of 179.31.
But coming into the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) 2025, Holder could not manage to consistently put up the fiery shows. He has scored only 24 runs in three innings for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders so far, striking at a sub-par 133.33.
However, instead of Holder, the Titans could have opted for the star South African batter David Miller. Previously, the Proteas finisher had a three-year stint with the franchise, scoring 950 runs in 41 matches since the IPL 2022. But GT did not showcase any interest in roping in their former player, as the Delhi Capitals (DC) easily bagged his services at the base price of INR 2 crore.
Following an underwhelming debut season with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Miller had also regained his form in the subsequent The Hundred 2025. The batter amassed 133 runs in seven fixtures of the Northern Superchargers at a pulsating strike rate of 187.32. This indicates that the side, which has made it to the playoffs in three out of their four seasons so far, might have missed out on filling in a major weakness before entering the IPL 2026.
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