17
Mar 2025
INTRODUCTION:
- Just after 6 months since their incarnation, Gujarat Titans became only the second team after Rajasthan Royals to win the IPL in their debut season.
- They almost became the first to win back-to-back titles until Jadeja flicked the last ball for four in that 2023 Final.
- Things were going near perfect for them until that point.
- Since then, they traded their successful captain & local boy Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians for an all-cash trade and found themselves breaking their combination and as a result finishing 8th in the points table.
RETENTIONS:
- Rashid Khan – 18crs
- Shubman Gill – 16.5crs
- Sai Sudharshan – 8.5crs
- Rahul Tewatia – 4crs
- Shah Rukh Khan – 4crs
AUCTION PICKS:
- GT did a good job even before going into the auction by retaining SRK & Rahul Tewatia for just 8 crores, which saved them big money and gave them a fragile skeleton to their XI even before things started.
- Spending just 7.6crs to het players like Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips & Gerald Coetzee combined is an absolute steal.
- They also spent very less for Indian backups like Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma & Anuj Rawat.
- Jos Buttler at 15.75crs is neither a steal nor an expensive buy.
- During the latter stages of the tournament last year, GT have found a fantastic opening pair in Gill & Sai Sudharshan, but with Jos Buttler coming in.
- Sai Sudharshan might have to bat at no.3 where he started initially.
- Even though their costly (33.75crs) pace trio of Rabada, Siraj & Prasidh Krishna are coming into the tournament with not great form, the condition at Ahmedabad might help them.
- But they will need any one of these three to have an exceptional season to match what Shami gave them in 2022 & 2023.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT:
- Overseas - After an amazing 2022 season, Buttler has had 2 underwhelming seasons. The conditions in Ahmedabad will suite him while compared to what he got in Jaipur in 2023 & 2024. With what has happened to him in the recent times as England skipper and Gill taking the captaincy burden, Buttler will have a point to prove, and he has the opportunity to express himself as a free-flowing batter.
- Uncapped – This is an important season for Shah Rukh Khan, we all know what he could do in the end overs, but he has never set the tournament on fire yet. If he has agreed to stay in GT for just 4 crores, he has seen something which suits him in this team. Who knows, the management could’ve assured him a handful of games at a fixed batting position which might change his career. I’m also rooting for Manav Suthar too.
BEST XI (HOME):
- Shubman Gill (C)
- Jos Buttler (WK)
- Sai Sudharshan
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Washinton Sundar
- Glenn Phillips
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
- Impact Sub – Ishant Sharma or Mahipal Lomror
BEST XI (AWAY):
- Shubman Gill (C)
- Jos Buttler (WK)
- Sai Sudharshan
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Washinton Sundar
- Glenn Phillips
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
- Impact Sub – Sai Kishore or Mahipal Lomror
Note: Gujarat Titans might look play an extra spinner when the play at venues like Chepauk, Rajasthan & Lucknow. And they also might prefer an extra pace option while they are at Wankhede, Dharamshala & Eden Gardens
PREDICTION THIS IPL:
- Just after the 2022 Mega Auction, GT were on the bottom of everyone’s ranking list.
- But during the tournament they proved everyone wrong by topping the table in 2022 and 2023.
- 2024 was a slight blip caused by the Pandya trade.
- But the fact that they could do so well with the minimal resources they got initially, considering the well-balanced squad they have now, I expect this team to finish in the top 2 along with the Mumbai Indians.
