The pair has a combined price of INR 23 crore.
Gujarat Titans (GT) reached the playoffs in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but had some glaring issues. They will be hoping to address those in the IPL 2026 auction later this year.
However, looking at their squad, they have to release one or two high priced players if they are to compete for quality talent in the auction. Just releasing the fringe players will not free up their purse by a lot. Two names who couldn’t deliver to their potential in the IPL 2025 were Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada.
ESM
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SPE
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TWI
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SPE
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ESM
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WEY
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WEY
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TWI
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ESM
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TWI
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BAN
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TWI
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WEY
–
TWI
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BAN
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SPE
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SPE
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WEY
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BAN
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WEY
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BCC
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91YC
155/3
NAJC
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GUG
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NVR
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CCC
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GUG
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91YC
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ENG
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IND
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RTZ
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KGC
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TCC
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JJ
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STCC
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FEK
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ALECC
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CEC-A
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ZIM
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NZ
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WI
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PAK
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BAD
66/1
ASS
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SGT
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BDS
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WIU19-W
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USAU19-W
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BRB-W
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SUR-W
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PNC
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IAC
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SAC
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AAC
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Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj are amongst the high-profile pacers in the world. Gujarat Titans spent INR 12.25 crore to acquire Siraj and INR 10.75 crore to secure Rabada’s services. On paper, this was an exciting pairing but it materialised in only four games as Rabada missed the major part of the season.
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Siraj had a great start to IPL 2025 but his form fizzled as the tournament went on. Overall, he picked 16 wickets in 15 games at a poor economy of 9.24. Rabada, on the other hand, played four games and bagged just two wickets at an expensive rate of 11.57.
A sum of INR 23 crore for these returns isn’t justified. Gujarat Titans would not be wrong to release these two to free up the budget. They already have INR 18 crore locked with Rashid Khan as their first retention ahead of the 2025 mega auction.
One of the major issues for GT in the previous season was their unreliable middle and lower middle-order. They had an incredible top order of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler but had to adopt a less aggressive template due to their middle order.
GT can solve that issue by getting a power-hitter. For some reason, they lacked trust in Glenn Phillips. If they have enough budget, GT can go after someone like Cameron Green or Michael Bracewell or Sikandar Raza.
While the idea of releasing the duo makes sense, it is important to note the GT franchise prefers stability. Going by their short history, it seems unlikely that they will make any big changes ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Moreover, players’ value is generally inflated in the mini auction, which reduces the chances of GT buying them back at a cheaper price. There aren’t many fast bowlers in the market with the similar calibre and experience.
The bowling attack was a massive concern for GT in the previous season as they leaked runs at 9.76 rpo. They conceded over 200 runs in five of their 15 games. Gujarat Titans are likely to trust more or less the same set of bowlers in the next season.
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