Hyderabad:Gujarat Titans (GT) are set to retain their captain Shubman Gill alongside Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and southpaw batter Sai Sudharsan ahead of the 2025 IPL mega auction.
The franchise is also expected to retain uncapped players like Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan. An IPL source confirmed toIndia Today, "Shubman, Rashid, and Sai will be retained by the franchise."
Gill, named vice-captain in the Indian cricket white-ball setup, captained Gujarat for the first time earlier this year. His team finished eighth out of ten. However, the previous two seasons for the franchise were nothing short of a dream start as they clinched the tournament in 2022 before finishing as runners-up the following year, both under Hardik Pandya's leadership.
The decision to retain Rashid Khan comes with expectations as the wrist spinner adds value in more than two dimensions. The 26-year-old took 19 wickets and scored 91 runs at a strike rate of 206 down the order in his maiden season and followed that up with 27 wickets and 130 runs (216.67) the next season. However, his performance dipped this year, with just 10 wickets in 12 games at an average of 36.70. But it is important to note that he was returning from the injury.
Sudharsan is also set to be retained ahead of the October 31 deadline after a breakout year in which he scored 527 runs in 12 games, including a century. His 80+ run knock against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023 final displayed his ability to score under pressure. The young batter has already made appearances in three ODIs and one T20 for the national team.
Uncapped player Shahrukh Khan impressed with a strike rate of 169.33 and is considered a bargain at Rs 4 crore for the franchise. Rahul Tewatia, who has played nearly 100 games in the IPL, is another player the Titans are likely to keep, having batted with a strike rate above 145 last season. His ability to win games for his team out of nowhere is very rare.
The mega auction is expected to be held overseas in the last week of November. The auction purse has been increased to Rs 120 crore, up from Rs 100 crore last year. This total salary cap now includes the auction purse, incremental performance pay, and match fees, with the match fee set at Rs 7.5 lakh per game for the upcoming season. Teams can retain up to six players, either through retention or right-to-match, which is the highest limit in IPL history.
