 "Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and coach Ashish Nehra have a lot of work to do after IPL retentions. Image: PTI")
After making the final in each of their first two seasons, the Gujarat Titans finished eighth last year in what was Shubman Gill’s first season as captain. There were promising signs, however, prompting the Titans to retain Gill as their skipper and keep hold of four other players, hoping that they can turn around their fortunes and win them their second title in four years.
Who are GT’s retained players?
Rashid Khan (Rs 18 crore)
Shubman Gill (Rs 16.5 crore)
B Sai Sudharsan (Rs 8.5 crore)
Rahul Tewatia (Rs 4 crore)
Shahrukh Khan (Rs 4 crore)
Also Read | Full list of retentions and released players for all 10 IPL teams
Rationale behind the retentions
Gill has been labelled the next big batting superstar in Indian cricket and could be a future India captain. The Titans seem to trust him as a leader too, emphasized by them handing over the reins to Gill once Hardik Pandya left.
Rashid, meanwhile, is the best T20 spinner on the planet. Conditions, oppositions, different leagues – nothing seems to faze him. And in the past few years, he has proved he can be a match-winner with the bat as well.
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Sudharsan has also grown in stature. Last season, he scored tons of runs for the Titans, which included a sublime hundred against the Chennai Super Kings. He also seemed to complement Gill nicely as an opener – a partnership they will, most likely, rekindle in the coming season.
Shahrukh and Tewatia are two accomplished finishers – the former often winning games in domestic cricket and in the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Tewatia, on the other hand, has been a crucial cog in the Titans’ wheel since 2022, also playing a major role in their triumph that year.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPossible auction strategy for GT
The Titans have retained five players but none of them is a fast bowler, meaning they will go shopping in the market for pace. Mohammed Shami may have been a potential retention but his injury hiatus seems to have played a role.
They also need a solid middle-order batter who can act as the bridge between conventional and elegant stroke-makers like Gill and Sudharsan and bruising finishers like Rashid, Shahrukh, and Tewatia. An Indian batter fitting this mould (who will also be amenable to their budget) might be tough to find, but they will have numerous overseas options to choose from.
Players GT could target at the auction
(Purse remaining: Rs 69 crore)
David Miller. There are not many in the world who can do what he does, and he knows the franchise inside out. GT also have an RTM that can be used on a capped player and Miller fits that criterion to the tee.
If they cannot get Miller, his compatriot Aiden Markram could interest them. He may not be as powerful a hitter as Miller, but can alternate between buckling down and attacking. Marcus Stoinis may also be on their radar. Among Indian batters, Nitish Rana, although potentially expensive, could be a solid choice.
A wicket-keeper batter like Josh Inglis could also give them flexibility, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz an able alternative, although if he were to be signed, the Titans might have to tinker with their opening combination from last season.
On the bowling front, the Titans would love nothing more than to pair Rashid and Noor Ahmad again. The franchise likes its left-arm pacers, which brings Fazalhaq Farooqi and Spencer Johnson into the mix, with Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult representing proper big-money, high-profile options. They might also be tempted to acquire Marco Jansen, who will enjoy the swinging conditions (under lights) in Ahmedabad and will add further muscle to their lower middle order.
Among right-arm pacers, Mohammed Siraj will be available and might offer them better fitness security than Shami (at the moment at least). Kagiso Rabada and Josh Hazlewood, because of their height and pace, could also figure into their thinking, reprising the role that Alzarri Joseph and Lockie Ferguson once performed for the franchise.
So, there are several paths the Titans can take and it will boil down to what specific roles they want players to play, which with Rs 69 crore in the purse, puts them in a decently strong position!