From Championship debut to finalists in 2nd year, proving the 1st wasn’t a fluke, followed by a mediocre mid-table season after losing their captain to neighbours. Gujarat made some of the spiciest purchases in the Mega-Auction 2025. Will the Titans live up to their names in this year’s IPL?
Squad Preview
The Titans squad boasts a blend of consistent batting and explosive pace bowling, with players like Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, and Sai Sudharshan anchoring the top order. Their aggressive middle order, led by the in-form Glenn Phillips and supported by young talents like Anuj Rawat and Kumar Kushagra, promises fireworks. The all-rounders, including Karim Janat, Rashid Khan, and Washington Sundar, bring depth and balance and are capable of contributing with both bat and ball. In form West Indies star Sherfane Rutherford will also be one of the players to watch out for.
On the bowling front, the Titans have a fearsome lineup with international stars like Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Gerald Coetzee, and Prasidh Krishna, supported by the likes of Arshad Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, and experienced Ishant Sharma. Gujarat’s attack looks well-rounded, with spinners like Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore offering variety.
Strengths
Openers: “Well begun is half done”. The Orange Cap winner of 2022 and the Orange Cap winner of 2023 will lead the way for Titans’ batting order in 2025. Shubman Gill, coming off a great ODI cricket season, will pair up with now former England’s captain Jos Butler, who will be looking to find some great touch, keeping in mind next year’s T20 World Cup. Gill & Jos are ranked 1st and 4th for the most runs in the league in the last mega-auction cycle. The next best rankings for any other team are for Delhi, where Faf and KL rank 3rd and 6th. The pair not only has accumulated runs with unreal consistency, but their scoring rate has been 145+, which will be more than just appreciable for a home venue like Ahmedabad.
Powerplay Bowling: Similar to their batting, the Titans have assembled a bowling attack that is favourable for bowling at the start of the innings. Kagiso Rabada & Mohammed Siraj are among the top 5 wicket takers in powerplay for the IPL cycle 2022-2024, despite Rabada missing out on about 13 games in those 3 seasons. Despite his poor return at death overs being the reason for missing out on RCB’s retention, Siraj’s powerplay numbers are even better than someone like Arshdeep Singh, who has managed to replace him in the Indian setup. Apart from these 2, Gujarat also bought Gerald Coetzee, who strikes every 18 balls in the powerplay. Prasidh Krishna & experienced Ishant Sharma complete the overall pace attack for Gujarat.
Weaknesses
Death Bowling: Like a contrast image to their Powerplay attack, Titans may find themselves troubling in the back end of bowling innings. The pace attack of Gujarat Titans holds some of the best wicket-takers in the powerplay, but the attack is too one-dimensional towards new ball bowling and lacks someone who can excel at death. The likes of Siraj, Ishant & Prasidh are all sort of new ball specialists with a not-so-great track record in IPL death overs. Rabada & Coetzee can take good wickets with old ball, but even their economy in the last 5 overs is not so optimal.
Middle Order Batters: IPL-winning captain and local boy Hardik Pandya left everyone in awe when he chose to leave for Mumbai last year; behind him, he left a big hole to be filled, more as a player than a captain. The species of Indian pace bowling all-rounder being the rarest, Gujarat felt a big dent in their middle order in 2024, with the likes of Miller and Tewatia also fading away. With Miller now being gone as well, the whole responsibility of finishing lies on either Glenn Phillips or Sherfane Rutherford, whoever gets picked as the 4th overseas in the XI.
