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PlayersIPL 2027: Gujarat Titans weigh retention calls amid finishing concerns
There are also trade speculation and bowling struggles in the franchise that was crowned champions on IPL debut
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The Gujarat Titans made it to the final of the 2026 Indian Premier League. They will be looking to go one better in 2027. Reports of GT trying to trade for finisher Ashutosh Sharma while offering Ashok Sharma in a deal give an idea of what they are looking to address.
Last season, the Titans won nine of their 14 league matches and then reached the final. However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru proved too good, winning a second title in a row.
The strength of the Titans during the campaign was their cohesion and how their combinations clicked. They scored at a rate of 9.52, and with the ball, gave away runs at an economy of 9.46. Neither figure placed them at either extreme of the league.
Their principal concern was closing out the innings. They scored at 10.14 in the death overs, the lowest in the league, and conceded 11.67 runs per over, the third worst. This underlines the need for GT to find ways to finish better with bat and ball.
A formidable core to build on
In batting, the Titans probably have the most consistent top three in IPL. In IPL 2026, captain Shubman Gill scored 732 runs at a strike rate of 163.03, Sai Sudharsan 722 runs at 157.99, and Jos Buttler 526 at 152.46. The three form the core of the batting group, and there is little chance of any of them being released. Washington Sundar also emerged as a valuable addition, and pushing him up the order worked. He scored 377 runs at a strike rate of 151.41, while his spin bowling gave them flexibility on occasions.
In bowling, Kagiso Rabada was the leader. He took 29 wickets and won the Purple Cap. Rashid Khan regained much of his old IPL form in 2026 and took 21 wickets, while Mohammed Siraj had 19 scalps. The arrival of Jason Holder bolstered the team, his wicket-taking ability proving crucial to their deep run in the tournament. GT will be keen to hold on to this group, and reports that they rejected a KKR trade proposal for Holder make that intention clear.
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The difficult retention and release decisions
When it comes to the releases, Shahrukh Khan looks like a prime candidate. He costs them around ₹4 crore, and they have backed him for a long time as a specialist finisher with underwhelming returns. In IPL 2026, Khan scored 43 runs from 33 balls across five batting innings. Another name that could come under scrutiny is Rahul Tewatia. Though listed as an allrounder, Tewatia rarely bowls nowadays and has been moulded into a specialist finisher. His IPL 2026 numbers of 190 runs at a strike rate of 145.04 though do little to strengthen his case.
Glenn Phillips too presents a dilemma. The Kiwi batter has shown with his recent displays against India that he can be invaluable in the middle order. However, with a settled top order, the Titans have failed to provide him ample opportunities. They need to decide whether they have a role for him, and then release or retain him.
Sai Kishore has shown considerable promise as a T20 spin bowler. But the question whether GT can give him enough opportunities remains, though he adds depth to the squad. The franchise might also assess the contract of Tom Banton, who was unused in IPL 2026.
The two-time runners-up and IPL 2022 winners have enough in their core to take them deep into the tournament again. But they need to address their weak links if they aim to win a second title. The challenge will be holding on to the core while creating space to rectify their finishing and death-bowling weaknesses.
