Gill and GT search for a more assertive identity

Post-Hardik Pandya, recalibration is still in progress under Shubman Gill.

Gujarat Titans entered the auction with one of the most settled squads and largely chose continuity over disruption. There were no headline batting additions. The top order, anchored by Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, remains untouched.

Their moves were more about insulation. Tom Banton comes in as a backup for Buttler, while Jason Holder adds a layer of balance—a seam-bowling allrounder who can float roles. The rest of the auction strengthened their fast-bowling depth: Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj and Ashok Sharma join a pace unit featuring Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna.

This is a squad that has doubled down on its existing template.

The bigger shift is in leadership. With Gill settling into captaincy, this is now unmistakably his team, one that carries the efficiency of its early years but is searching for a more assertive expression. That search is tied closely to Gill himself. Left out of India's T20 World Cup squad, he enters this season with a point to prove.

GT reflect that uncertainty. They are anchored by a consistent top order. That stability comes with a pattern. Titans were among the slowest starters in the powerplay last season (a run rate of 8.55) despite losing the fewest wickets, prioritising control over early aggression.

That places a greater burden on the middle order, which has not kept pace. Across the last two seasons, no team has averaged less from No.4 to 7 (average of 21.08) than the Titans, a sharp drop from their title-winning years when that phase was a strength.

The addition of Matthew Hayden to the coaching staff could offer something different. For a side that has often erred on the side of caution, his presence could push towards greater attacking clarity.

Probable XII: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips/Tom Banton, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada/Jason Holder, Prasidh Krishna

There is flexibility, but it comes with trade-offs. Phillips offers middle-order aggression, while Banton is a backup for Buttler. The bigger call could be around the overseas bowling slot: Rabada's experience versus Holder's all-round balance.

What they do better than most: Their ability to control spin. The Titans lost just 20 wickets to spin last season, the second fewest in the league, and scored at a strike rate of over 150 against it.

A player that changes their ceiling: Shubman Gill. Since 2023, only Virat Kohli has scored more runs in the IPL. But the question around Gill in T20s has shifted from volume to velocity. How far he pushes that shift could define how far the Titans go.

Key concerns: The middle overs with the bat, and the erosion of their bowling edge. Titans have had the least productive middle order in the league across the last two seasons. With the ball, Rashid Khan's returns have dipped since 2023, while GT's overseas bowlers were the least effective last season.

One to watch: Kumar Kushagra. The young wicketkeeper-batter comes in on the back of a prolific domestic run. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he struck at over 160 while averaging above 60. If the middle order continues to drift, the temptation to bring him in could grow.

Opening fixture: Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians. Hardik Pandya on one side, Shubman Gill on the other. GT have had the better of this rivalry, but it was MI who knocked them out in last year's Eliminator.