IPL 2026 | Gujarat Titans Preview: Can GT scale old heights under Shubman Gill?

Gujarat Titans (GT) will head into the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) after finding some resurgence in 2025 under the leadership of captain Shubman Gill. The 2022 champions reached the playoffs after a year’s gap but came short in the Eliminator fixture against the Mumbai Indians (MI).

After being rushed into leadership in 2024, Gill took some time to acclimatise himself to the new role and responsibility, and finally found his feet in the previous season. And now, after being handed over the leadership duties of the Indian Test and ODI teams, Gill will be hungry to prove his credentials with his first major triumph as skipper.

As Gujarat head into the IPL 2026 with an aim to reach old heights, here’s a SWOT analysis of their team ahead of the season:

Strengths

Batting powerhouse

As with most IPL teams, Gujarat also boast a strong batting powerhouse, capable of navigating through different stages of the game. Captain Gill leads the charge with Sai Sudharsan, while the presence of Jos Buttler at number 3 makes one of the most dangerous trifectas of the tournament.

Abundance of all-round options

GT also have all-around options in abundance in their squad, having the likes of Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia and Glenn Phillips among others to give the perfect balance to their team.

In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna form a formidable new-ball pair, while Sai Kishore has already proven his worth as a spinner in the previous season.

Weaknesses

The middle order muddle

While the troika of Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler is a formidable one, GT lack a reliable middle order that they can count on to rescue them from a collapse. On the other hand, Buttler’s form is also a cause of concern as the wicketkeeper batter is coming from a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign.

The instability in the batting order is further exacerbated by Glenn Phillips’ underwhelming returns in his IPL career. The bowling department also has several gaps as Siraj and Krishna would require good support, but neither Ishant Sharma nor Kagiso Rabada have been in good form in recent times.

Rashid Khan's diminishing impact

To add to their misery is Rashid Khan’s dwindling numbers in IPL over the past two seasons. Hence, GT might have a good squad on paper, but they have issues to deal which may hinder their progress in the upcoming season.

Opportunities

Time for Gill to lead by example

Captain Shubman Gill has had his fair share of criticism after being handed over the leadership of the Indian team, particularly in ODIs. The 26-year-old has the perfect opportunity to silence his critics by leading his team from the front and guiding them to their second IPL title, and proving his leadership credentials.

GT made a valuable addition to their squad by buying Jason Holder for Rs 7 crore at the mini auction. The all-rounder was in fine form during the recent T20 World Cup 2026 for West Indies, making valuable contributions with both bat and ball. Holder will be expected to do a similar role for GT, who will require his finishing prowess in the lower order alongside Rahul Tewatia.

Threats

Over-reliance on a few players

GT are heavily reliant on a few top performers, who are expected to come good more often than not to help their side progress to the playoffs. However, injury concerns or lack of form in their main men could well expose the absence of depth in their squad.

While Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill were consistent throughout the tournament, the duo took some time to get going in their innings, which at times results in improper utilisation of the powerplay. The pair scored at a run rate of 9.56 in 2025 and will need to up the ante in the upcoming edition, with batters setting new standards of scoring in the shortest format every day.