Gujarat Titans lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator last season.
The Indian Premier League 2022 champions, Gujarat Titans, entered the IPL 2026 auction with the third-lowest budget of INR 12.9 crore and some minimal needs. The GT best XI is already settled after a good retention cycle ahead of the mini auction.
Keeping in mind the loopholes from the last edition and how the middle and lower-order batters were exposed in pressure situations, the Titans had a few key holes to plug in. The GT targets included a domestic middle-order batter, an overseas finisher, an overseas pace bowling all-rounder, and an overseas left-arm pacer in the auction. But they ticked only the last two slots by roping in the star Caribbean all-rounder Jason Holder and England pacer Luke Wood.
Ideally, the team could have bid for the veteran South African finisher David Miller, after trading out Sherfane Rutherford to the Mumbai Indians. But the former GT player, who had contributed 950 runs across three seasons since the IPL 2022, joined the Delhi Capitals at his base price of INR 2 crore.
Moreover, the team could not fill their slot for a domestic batter option after strengthening the bowling attack with the inclusion of Ashok Sharma and Prithviraj Yarra.
The absence of another domestic middle-order batter might not trouble the Gujarat Titans much. They possess a solid bench-strength, including Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Anuj Rawat, and Kumar Kushagra. If required, they can include Rawat or Kushagra in the lineup, especially after their latest heroics in the domestic tournaments. Previously, neither of them could manage a single appearance for the team in the IPL 2025.
Rawat has scored 329 runs in 11 fixtures of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, striking at 158.94. On the other hand, 21-year-old Kushagra was instrumental in Jharkhand’s maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) winning campaign. The gloveman notched up 422 runs in 10 matches of the T20 league at a fierce strike rate of 161.68.
The trick to promote Washington Sundar at No.4 in some of the fixtures last season had proved to work well for the side. Having said that, the Gujarat Titans might look to stick to the strategy while allowing their new recruit, Holder, to face some more deliveries up in the order.
Sundar recently displayed his attacking gameplay in the third Australia vs India T20I. Coming in during the 12th over, the player smashed a quickfire 23-ball 49 not-out to guide the side to a comfortable five-wicket victory.
Additionally, the former West Indies skipper is also known for playing a few whirlwind knocks in the middle order. His latest stint in the Abu Dhabi T10 League witnessed some blazing cameos that contributed 52 runs in four innings, striking at a blistering rate of 179.31.
ALSO READ:
The franchise does not need to bring in many changes for a GT best XI. They have a formidable top three in the form of captain Shubman Gill, last edition’s highest run-getter Sai Sudharsan, and English wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler.
By placing Sundar at No.4 and including Holder at No.7, Gujarat Titans could follow their existing lineup featuring Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia. It can be followed by Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, and Mohammad Siraj.
Looking at their squad, this could be GT best XI for the upcoming IPL 2026.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
