Gujarat Titans’ predicted playing XI for IPL 2026 features Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan opening, Jos Buttler at three, Rashid Khan leading the spin attack, and Kagiso Rabada spearheading the pace unit.
The 2022 champions retained 20 players, traded Sherfane Rutherford to MI, and signed Jason Holder for ₹7 crore at the Abu Dhabi mini-auction.
After finishing fourth in IPL 2025 and losing the Eliminator to MI, coach Ashish Nehra and captain Gill want to go deeper this time. The 25-player squad looks settled.
Final Predicted XI
| Player Name | Player Role |
|---|---|
| Shubman Gill (C) | Opener |
| Sai Sudharsan | Opener |
| Jos Buttler (WK) | No. 3 Batter (Overseas) |
| Washington Sundar | Batting All-Rounder |
| Shahrukh Khan | Middle-Order Batter |
| Glenn Phillips | All-Rounder (Overseas) |
| Rahul Tewatia | Finisher |
| Rashid Khan | Leg Spinner (Overseas) |
| Sai Kishore | Left-Arm Spinner |
| Kagiso Rabada | Fast Bowler (Overseas) |
| Mohammed Siraj | Fast Bowler |
Impact Sub: Prasidh Krishna / Jason Holder / Kumar Kushagra
Backups: Tom Banton, Manav Suthar, Jayant Yadav, Luke Wood, Ishant Sharma
So, what does GT’s strongest XI look like this season? Here is a position-by-position breakdown.
1. Shubman Gill (Captain, Opener)
Shubman Gill opens the batting and captains Gujarat Titans. He scored 650 runs in 15 innings during IPL 2025 at an average of 50.
His strike rate of 155.88 shows he’s not just accumulating. He’s scoring at pace while controlling the innings. That’s a rare combination.
Retained at ₹16.50 crore, Gill anchors the powerplay and sets the tempo. When Gill bats deep, GT usually win. It’s as simple as that.
2. Sai Sudharsan (Opener)
Sai Sudharsan opens alongside Gill and was the breakout star of last season. He won the Orange Cap in IPL 2025 with a staggering 759 runs.
The elegant left-hander paces innings beautifully. He knows when to rotate and when to attack. That maturity at 23 is remarkable.
Retained at ₹8.50 crore, Sudharsan’s consistency makes the Gill-Sudharsan pair one of the most reliable opening combos in the league.
3. Jos Buttler (WK, No. 3)
Jos Buttler walks in at three and keeps wicket. The Englishman has over 4,000 IPL runs and was Player of the Tournament in IPL 2022 with 863 runs.
When Buttler gets set, he doesn’t just score. He demolishes attacks. Spinners, pacers, it doesn’t matter. Everything disappears into the stands.
Retained at ₹15.75 crore, his form will be crucial. If Buttler fires, GT’s top three becomes virtually impossible to contain.
4. Washington Sundar (Batting All-Rounder)
Washington Sundar bats at four and bowls off-spin in the powerplay. The dual role gives Gill both a batting stabiliser and an early spin option in one player.
Retained at just ₹3.20 crore, Sundar is arguably GT’s best value retention. He bats, bowls, fields brilliantly, and barely costs a thing relative to his output.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that GT can squeeze opponents in the middle overs with Sundar from one end and Rashid from the other.
5. Shahrukh Khan (Middle-Order Batter)
Shahrukh Khan slots in at five and brings raw power to the middle order. The Tamil Nadu batter can clear boundaries against both pace and spin.
Retained at ₹4 crore, he competes with Kumar Kushagra for this slot. But Shahrukh’s IPL experience tips the balance in his favor for the starting XI.
6. Glenn Phillips (All-Rounder)
Glenn Phillips bats at six and bowls handy off-spin. The New Zealand international is among the most explosive T20 batters globally. His strike rate in T20Is speaks for itself.
A cameo of 25 off 10 balls from Phillips can completely shift a game’s momentum. That ability to turn contests in a single over makes him invaluable at six.
7. Rahul Tewatia (Finisher)
Rahul Tewatia plays the finisher’s role at seven. Remember those five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell in 2020? That’s the kind of fearlessness Tewatia brings every game.
Retained at ₹4 crore, Tewatia also bowls useful leg-spin. That gives Gill yet another spin option alongside Rashid, Sai Kishore, and Sundar.
8. Rashid Khan (Leg Spinner)
Rashid Khan needs no introduction. The Afghan superstar is the best T20 leg-spinner in the world. His economy and wicket-taking ability between overs 7 and 15 are unmatched.
Retained at ₹18 crore, Rashid is GT’s highest-paid player. Chopra believes GT’s middle-overs bowling can be “incredible” with Rashid, Sai Kishore, and Sundar working together.
He’s also handy with the bat. Rashid clearing a few sixes from the lower order has bailed GT out more times than they’d care to admit.
9. Sai Kishore (Left-Arm Spinner)
Sai Kishore emerged as GT’s lead Indian spinner in IPL 2025. His accuracy in the middle overs and knack for picking wickets at crucial moments earned him a permanent spot.
The Rashid-Sai Kishore combination offers two completely different angles. Leg-spin from one end, left-arm orthodox from the other. Batters get no time to settle.
10. Kagiso Rabada (Fast Bowler)
Kagiso Rabada leads GT’s overseas pace attack. The South African consistently bowls 145+ kmph and has won multiple Purple Caps across his IPL career.
Retained at ₹10.75 crore, Rabada gives Gill a genuine strike weapon with the new ball and at the death. Two crucial phases covered by one bowler.
11. Mohammed Siraj (Fast Bowler)
Mohammed Siraj completes the XI with swing bowling and aggression. In IPL 2025, he took 16 wickets in 15 matches and showed improved death-over accuracy.
Retained at ₹12.25 crore, Siraj brings energy and wicket-taking ability. He swings the new ball both ways and has sharpened his yorkers considerably.
The Rabada-Siraj new-ball pair is among the fastest in the IPL. Two quicks clocking 145+ from the first over. Openers won’t enjoy that start.
Impact Player Options
Prasidh Krishna is GT’s likely first-choice impact player. He was their highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025, claiming 25 wickets in 15 matches. On pace-friendly tracks, he replaces a spinner.
Jason Holder, signed for ₹7 crore at the auction, adds a batting-heavy bowling option. The West Indian all-rounder bats deep and bowls accurate medium-pace at the death.
Kumar Kushagra offers a batting-focused option. The Jharkhand keeper was the third-highest run-scorer in SMAT 2025 with 422 runs.
GT’s bench strength means Gill can adapt his combination to any surface, any opposition, any situation. That flexibility wins tournaments.
Overseas Players Breakdown
IPL rules allow four overseas players in the playing XI. GT’s likely four overseas picks are:
- Jos Buttler (England)
- Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Jason Holder (West Indies), Tom Banton (England), and Luke Wood (England) sit as overseas backups. If Rabada rests, Holder slots in seamlessly as a pace all-rounder.
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Conclusion: GT’s Balance and Bowling Make Them Genuine Title Contenders
GT’s predicted playing XI for IPL 2026 blends reliable batting with a world-class bowling attack. The Gill-Sudharsan opening pair provides stability, while Buttler at three adds explosive power.
Rashid Khan, Rabada, and Siraj form one of the most fearsome bowling trios in the tournament. The bench depth from Prasidh and Holder allows rotation without losing quality.
If form holds and the middle-overs squeeze works as Chopra predicts, the Gujarat Titans could be lifting their second IPL trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Fitting stage for a homecoming.
