The Gujarat Titans (GT) have had quite a journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL). They started with a bang by winning the trophy in their first season in 2022 and made it to the finals again in 2023, though they lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on the final ball of the summit clash. However, things got tougher in 2024 when they lost their captain Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians (MI) and key player Mohammed Shami (due to injury).
Under new captain Shubman Gill, they struggled and finished eighth in the league with only five wins. Looking ahead to 2025, the team is making smart moves to rebuild. They’ve kept their best players like Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill, spending ₹51 crore rupees from their total budget of ₹120 crore rupees. They’ve also brought in Parthiv Patel as batting coach to work with head coach Ashish Nehra. Gill even agreed to take less money to stay with the team, showing his commitment. With the mega auction slated to happen on November 24-25, we have made a “Dream XI” for the Gujarat Titans (GT). Below, we have put the best possible combination that the GT could pick at the auction. While we know that no one can predict what happens at an IPL auction, it’s important to note that this is a purely speculative exercise. On that note, let’s hop into it!
GT) 1. Shubman Gill
Here comes the present and future of the Gujarat Titans. Shubman Gill, who has taken a pay cut (₹16.50 crore), has continued his legacy with the franchise. Gill was one of their draft players at Rs 8 crore. He took over the captaincy in IPL 2024 when Pandya left for the Mumbai Indians (MI). While Gill didn’t have a fruitful season as skipper, he is destined for bigger things come the IPL 2025. Unsurprisingly, he is the leading run-getter of the franchise, having smashed 1,799 runs at an average of 44.97.
GT) 2. Ishan Kishan
After MI released Ishan Kishan, he is expected to garner huge interest from teams. One of those teams could be GT, who need a high flying opener to partner with Shubman Gill. Who else better than Kishan, who has an amazing camaraderie with skipper Gill. The 26-year-old was bought for INR 15.25 crore in the 2022 mega auction by MI, though his form has been inconsistent since then. Overall, he has played 105 games in the IPL, scoring 2,644 runs at a strike rate of 135.86. Kishan would also be an upgrade to Wriddhiman Saha.
GT) 3. Sai Sudharsan
The Gujarat Titans (GT) have heavily invested in Sai Sudharsan, who is an India player now. In fact, the southpaw was retained ahead of the likes of Mohammed Shami, David Miller and Mohit Sharma. GT believe the left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu is a long-term player who can perform a key role in the top order. Sudharsan, who was bought for INR 20 lakhs in 2022, was sixth highest run-maker in IPL 2024 with 527 runs with an average of nearly 48 and strike rate of 141.
GT) 4. Marcus Stoinis (Overseas)
The first overseas player on the list, Marcus Stoinis brings massive stability to any side any GT would love to have someone like him. Stoinis was released by LSG ahead of this auction and GT would require someone of his calibre and skillet. He would muscle the ball long way and would even roll his arms over, a role that Vijay Shankar fulfilled. Overall, he has 5966 T20 runs and even has 152 wickets to his name.
GT) 5. David Miller (Overseas)
David Miller back at GT? Any Titans fan would love for it to happen! After all, the Protea batter saw immense success at the franchise, hammering 950 runs at an amazing strike rate of 145.25. He has upped his game against spin bowling as well and will add that power game for GT.
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GT) 6. Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan, who is also a part-time offspinner, is among the strongest hitters in domestic cricket and was bought in 2024 auction for INR 7.4 crore. Hence, keeping him for INR 4 crore could be a great move. The Tamil Nadu-born had a superb TNPL earlier this year, where he made 225 runs at a SR of 182 and even took 13 wickets at an economy rate of under 6.7.
GT) 7. Rahul Tewatia
Here comes another uncapped retention for GT. We all know how Rahul Tewatia made a name for himself when he clubbed Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over. After that, he was bought for a whopping INR 9 crore by GT. Since then, he has played several match-winning cameos for the franchise and is known to have a superb rapport with everyone in the team.
GT) 8. Rashid Khan (Overseas)
Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, there is only one player who would be deemed underpaid even at INR 18 crore and that is Rashid Khan. Gill’s decision to take a pay cut meant that Rashid Khan proved to be Gujarat’s top retention pick, irrespective of him not being the skipper. After all, he considered the best spinner in the T20 format (if not the best bowler). Moreover, Rashid is just a few games away from creating history as he is only 19 wickets short from getting the title of the ‘bowler with the most T20 wickets in history’. In 445 T20 innings, he has 613 wickets at a phenomenal economy of 6.48.
GT) 9. Fazalhaq Farooqi (Overseas)
It is always shrewd to have a left-arm pacer in the team and GT could do themselves huge favor by having Fazalhaq Farooqi. GT have kept the likes of Yash Dayal, Joshua Little and Spencer Johnson with them and Farooqi would be as lethal as anyone. We all remember how superbly he bowled during the T20 World Cup 2024, claiming 17 wickets at an immaculate economy rate of 6.32. His strike rate at the tournament was just 8.00, indicating a tally of over 3 wickets per game! In Ahmedabad, the ball seams a fair bit and the Afghan pacer would be a handful there.
GT) 10. Mohit Sharma
Talk about bowling strike rates to Mohit Sharma, who was surprisingly released by GT. He found a new hope at the franchise, where he initially started as a net bowler before spearheading the pace attack last season. At GT, Mohit Sharma has claimed 40 wickets at a SR of 12.47. This is absolute superb, given he bowled especially in the death overs. GT might be planning to buy him back at the auction.
GT) 11. Mohammed Shami
Last but not the least, Mohammed Shami will be in the auction. The veteran has made his much-awaited return in competitive cricket, that too, with a seven-wicket haul in the game. Despite missing out for an entire season, Shami is still the leading wicket-taker among pacer for GT. In 33 innings for the franchise, Shami mustered 48 wickets at an average of 21.04. He knows the franchise in-and-out and would be ideal candidate for the Gujarat Titans.
Dream XI for Gujarat Titans at IPL 2025 Auction
| S No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill | Batter |
| 2 | Ishan Kishan | Wicket-keeper |
| 3 | Sai Sudharsan | Batter |
| 4 | Marcus Stoinis | All-rounder |
| 5 | David Miller | Batter |
| 6 | Shahrukh Khan | Batting all-rounder |
| 7 | Rahul Tewatia | All-rounder |
| 8 | Rashid Khan | Bowling all-rounder |
| 9 | Mohammed Shami | Pacer |
| 10 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | Pacer |
| 11. | Mohit Sharma | Pacer |
- Impact Sub: Rahul Tripathi/ Sai Kishore
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