Gujarat Titans: Auction inertia and the cost of shortsightedness

Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 campaign has been a mixed bag. After 41 games, they sit fifth on the points table with four wins and four losses. Their net run rate of –0.475 is dragging them down, demanding a turnaround of extraordinary proportions if they are to climb higher.

The opening duo of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill has once again provided consistency, but not the blistering pace that other franchises enjoy. Jos Buttler has chipped in with 270 runs at an average of 38.57 and a strike rate of 151.68, including two fifties. Yet beyond this trio, the batting cupboard looks bare. The middle order has failed to shoulder responsibility, leaving the Titans scratchier than their early years. And the root of this malaise lies in their pre‑season decisions.

The Rutherford misstep

In 2025, Gujarat Titans invested INR 2.60 crore in Sherfane Rutherford. He repaid that faith with 291 runs at a strike rate of 157.29 across 13 matches, many of them decisive in winning causes. Despite this proven value, Titans traded him to Mumbai Indians for the same price. The move stripped them of a reliable middle‑order hitter who had already demonstrated his worth in pressure situations.

Auction inertia

Entering the IPL 2026 auction with a healthy purse of INR 12.90 crore, Titans had the resources to reinforce their batting. Instead, they signed only Tom Banton for INR 2 crore and left INR 1.95 crore unused. Their assumption that retaining Buttler and Glenn Phillips was sufficient betrayed a lack of foresight.

Buttler’s dip in form at the end of 2025, just two fifties in nine T20I outings, should have been a warning sign. Yet Titans ignored it, banking on him to carry the middle order without a safety net.

Consequences in 2026

The gamble has backfired. Banton’s injury forced Titans to draft in Connor Esterhuizen, a newcomer with only a handful of international appearances. Meanwhile, Glenn Phillips has been woefully out of touch, scraping together just 67 runs in six games at an average of 16.75 and a strike rate of 124.07.

With Phillips misfiring, Titans have turned to Jason Holder to plug the gap, hoping his all‑round ability can lend stability. But this is patchwork, not planning.

The Miller what‑if

Perhaps the most glaring oversight was ignoring David Miller. Delhi Capitals secured him for a mere INR 2 crore. Miller was the bedrock of Titans’ middle order in their debut season, amassing 481 runs at an average of 68.71 and a strike rate of 142.72 to power them to the 2022 title. His availability at such a modest price should have been irresistible. Instead, Titans passed, and now they are left ruing the decision.

Gujarat Titans’ current struggles are not a matter of bad luck but of pre‑season shortsightedness. The decision to offload Rutherford, the inertia at the auction, and the failure to secure Miller have left them exposed. 

Their top order remains reliable, but the absence of proven middle‑order firepower has turned matches into uphill battles.

Unless the Titans find a way to repair this imbalance mid‑season, their campaign risks stagnation, a sobering reminder that in the IPL, conservative investment can be as costly as reckless spending.