The 2022 winners will hope to bounce back this season.
After playing back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023, the Gujarat Titans (GT) had a poor season in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. They finished eighth on the points table.
Before the IPL 2025 auction, they kept their five key players using the RTM card. In the auction, they picked some top international stars to make their squad strong.
Looking at their team now, Gujarat Titans have a good chance to do well in IPL 2025. They will hope to bounce back this season.
Shubman Gill (c), Rashid Khan, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Nishant Sindhu, Mahipal Lomror, Anuj Rawat, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Washington Sundar, Gerald Coetzee, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Sherfane Rutherford, Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips.
The Gujarat Titans have built a strong squad for IPL 2025, but there are still a few concerns they’ll need to address. Fixing these issues will be important before the new season gets underway.
One of the concerns that Gujarat Titans might face this season is who will bat for them at the No.5 spot. Earlier, David Miller performed extremely well. Since he has been acquired by another franchise, the Titans will have to fix this issue. They have Sherfane Rutherford and Glenn Phillips as options.
Both are talented cricketers but lack IPL experience. If you look at Rutherford, he was part of the KKR squad that won the trophy last season, but he did not play any matches. He has played only 10 matches in the IPL since his debut in 2019. On the other hand, Glenn Phillips couldn’t get many chances in the SRH squad because of their strong overseas options. He played only five matches in 2023 and spent most of that season on the bench. In 2024, he didn’t get to play at all and was on the bench for the entire season.
So, the No.5 spot could be a concern for Gujarat Titans and they will have to choose between one of these available players.
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While Gujarat Titans have invested in talented overseas players, one area where they seem to be lacking is a domestic batter as a backup. In their playing XI, they have skilled batters like captain Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, and Rahul Tewatia. But on the bench, they have players like Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, and Kumar Kushagra. All of them are talented, but they haven’t played much franchise cricket and when they got opportunities in the previous seasons, they didn’t perform as per their potential.
Anuj Rawat has played 24 IPL matches and scored 318 runs at an average of just 19.87. Mahipal Lomror has played 40 matches and scored 527 runs with an average of only 18.17. There will be times when Gujarat Titans will have to rely on their bench strength, especially when they need an Impact Player while batting second.
Though the Gujarat Titans have one of the strongest pace attacks in IPL 2025, with stars like Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna, there’s still a concern about their death bowling. All three are excellent with the new ball and usually do well in the early overs. But none of them are known as specialist death bowlers.
In the middle overs, Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar are likely to handle the spin duties. But when it comes to bowling at the end of the innings, GT might face problems. They will need someone to rely on.
The team might have to bring in a pacer from the bench as an Impact Player to fill this role. However, their bench doesn’t have many experienced Indian fast bowlers. Gerald Coetzee is an option, but since Gujarat will already be playing four overseas players in their starting XI, they can’t use him as an Impact Player. This makes their death bowling a major concern heading into the season.
Gujarat Titans should consider playing Glenn Phillips in their starting XI from the beginning of the season. Even though he doesn’t have much IPL experience, his recent performances show that he is in great form. In the 2025 Champions Trophy, he scored 177 runs in five matches while batting lower down the order and also chipped in with two wickets. Before that, he did well in the tri-nation series, scoring 154 runs in three matches.
Phillips offers a lot as an all-rounder. He can finish games with the bat, bowl a few handy overs, and is also a brilliant fielder. His ability to take stunning catches and create moments in the field can make a big difference in tight games. Starting with him in the XI could strengthen Gujarat’s middle order and add balance to their team.
Gujarat Titans can use Mahipal Lomror as their impact player, especially when they are batting second. He can be sent in to bat at No.4, which is a spot where GT might need some stability. If Glenn Phillips plays at 5 or 6, Lomror can handle the fourth position well.
Though Mahipal hasn’t done much in the IPL so far, he has been in great form in domestic cricket this season. He scored 616 runs in seven matches in the Ranji Trophy, 438 runs in eight games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 146 runs in six matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024. If he carries this form into the IPL, this could be his breakout season. Gujarat Titans should back him as an impact player to strengthen their middle order when chasing targets.
When bowling second, Gujarat Titans can use Arshad Khan as their impact player. He too doesn’t have a lot of IPL experience, having played just 10 matches for Lucknow Super Giants. But he has shown promise in domestic cricket. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he played only three games but managed to take seven wickets. Even though it’s a small sample, his economy rate was just 4.30, which shows he can bowl well at the death.
Another advantage is that he’s a left-arm pacer, while most of Gujarat’s other fast bowlers are right-armers. This gives them a different option in their attack. Plus, Arshad can also contribute with the bat down the order, adding depth to the lineup.
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