Gujarat Titans Squad Analysis: Predicted Playing XI, SWOT And Expected Finish

Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 31 [Source: X]

The IPL 2026 is just days away, and the Gujarat Titans will start their fifth season against the IPL 2025 runner-ups, the Punjab Kings, on March 31, as they start the pursuit of their second title.

In the last season, they were well poised for a top-2 finish under captain Shubman Gill before a little hiccup at the end of the league phase and finished third. Subsequently, they were knocked out of the Eliminator at the hands of the Mumbai Indians.

Ahead of IPL 2026, they retained their core and were active in the trade window, as they let go of Sherfane Rutherford to MI. They then tried to fill the gaps and strengthen the roster with some smart buys in the auction and built a young squad.

Here’s a brief SWOT analysis for the Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2026.

Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 squad

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Anuj Rawat (wk), Tom Banton (wk), Arshad Khan, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Kishore, Ashok Sharma, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Luke Wood

Strengths of the Gujarat Titans

Reliable top-order

The Gujarat Titans have one of the best settled top-3 in the IPL 2026, with captain Shubman Gill opening with IPL 2025 orange cap winner, Sai Sudharsan. They are followed by the experienced and explosive Jos Buttler at 3.

The trio did the bulk of their scoring in the last season, with Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill finishing among the top-5 scorers. The former England captain Jos Buttler finished 10th in the same list. The three scored over 70 per cent of GT’s total runs in IPL 2025 and will look to replicate the performances again in IPL 2026.

(Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler in IPL 2025)

Quality fast bowling options

In IPL 2025, Prasidh Krishna ended as the leading-wicket taker with 25 wickets and won the purple cap. He was the highest-wicket taker in the death overs last season, with 15 wickets, alongside Mohammed Siraj, being the second-highest wicket-taker in the powerplay, with 9 wickets.

(Bowlers with the most wickets in 15-20 overs in IPL 2025)

(Bowlers with the most wickets in the powerplay in IPL 2025)

Additionally, they have bought Jason Holder, who has been one of the most improved death bowlers in T20 cricket in recent years. Since the start of 2025, no bowler has picked more wickets in overs 15 to 20 than Holder. He will be instrumental alongside Prasidh Krishna at the death.

(Bowlers with the most T20 wickets in overs 15-20 since January 2025)

To go alongside the trio, they have Kagiso Rabada, who has previously won the purple cap in the IPL and will be in contention for a starting XI spot against Jason Holder. England pacer Luke Wood is another option, who can operate in the powerplay and has experience of over 200 T20 matches behind him.

Among Indians, GT has picked the leading wicket-taker of the latest Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Ashok Sharma, to join Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar and the veteran Ishant Sharma in their power-packed attack. All of them are good backups and can slot right in the team, in case of any injury to the first-choice players.

Variety of all-rounders

The GT squad is filled with all-rounders, led by a sure-shot starter, Rashid Khan, who has a T20 strike rate of 147 for almost 3000 runs, alongside 702 scalps with his leg-break. He will be alongside the Tamil Nadu spin-duo of Washington Sundar and R Sai Kishore. Sundar has been used as a number 4 previously and can play as a floater again, while Sai Kishore can add crucial runs at 9, if needed.

Glenn Phillips, who is a likely starter as well, can bowl his part-time off-spin, having spent a lot of time in India and is used to the conditions. Among the backups is Nishant Sindhu, who recently scored 303 runs in SMAT, striking at 166.48 and can chip in with left-arm orthodox bowling in the middle overs.

Another starting option who contributes across departments is Jason Holder, with over 3,300 T20 runs at a strike rate close to 137, to go with his emphatic death bowling. His all-round prowess gives him an edge over Kagiso Rabada in the XI.

Also Read: Gujarat Titans IPL Schedule 2026: Fixtures, Venues, Full Squad, Date And Time

Weaknesses of the Gujarat Titans

Bleak middle-order

Having lost their leading run-scorer outside the top-3, Sherfane Rutherford to the Mumbai Indians, GT have to fill the gap with Glenn Phillips, who is a formidable batter at 4 or 5 and has done well in India recently.

However, apart from Phillips, they have Shahrukh Khan, who was recently dropped from the Tamil Nadu side in the middle of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, having scored 18 runs at an average of 4.5. Another option in the wings will be a promising 21-year-old Kumar Kushagra, who won the SMAT with Jharkhand but lacks IPL experience.

Apart from the three, GT can use Washington Sundar as a floater like they did last year, but how he fares in the long run remains to be seen. The final option will be Tom Banton, who has reinvented himself in the middle-order and can play well in the middle overs, but is likely to be a Phillips backup in IPL 2026.

Opportunities for Gujarat Titans

Youth development

GT have a young squad for IPL 2026, with the likes of Kumar Kushagra, who scored 422 runs at 151.68 in the SMAT title win at just 21. Ashok Sharma picked 22 wickets in the same season for Rajasthan, and the duo has a shot at playing some matches this season. A good season under the belt will help them leapfrog their contemporaries and get further opportunities.

Especially with Ashok Sharma, if he does well, he could be a solution to India’s fast bowling woes for the long term. Nishant Sindhu, if given an opportunity, can also prove to be a utility option at 7 and impress with his hitting prowess and left-arm spin.

Alongside the trio, they also have Gurnoor Brar, who is a tall pacer and can be another addition to India’s fast bowling pool. Manav Suthar, at 23, is also making a name for himself in the domestic circuit as a left-arm orthodox bowling all-rounder. If he gets opportunities, India could be looking at a successor of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

Threats for the Gujarat Titans

Susceptibility under pressure

Heading into IPL 2026, the Gujarat Titans have a young squad, with an average age in the mid-20s. During the last season, this team showed vulnerability as the tournament progressed into its business end and fluffed their chances to finish in the top-2, resulting in an eventual knockout from the Eliminator.

While they have retained most players who suffered that exit, it can be expected that they will learn from their mistakes and avoid the same errors if they are in a similar position in IPL 2026. However, with some players like Buttler and Shahrukh Khan out of form, it will be important for them not to get overawed by the occasion.

Gujarat Titans’ probable playing XI for IPL 2026

Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Kumar Kushagra, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna. Impact Player- R Sai Kishore or Ashok Sharma.

Expected finish: 5th (Close fight for top-4).

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