The Gujarat Titans (GT) have been a flawed team, especially since Hardik Pandya left in 2023. Despite a non-existent middle order, they managed to qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Playoffs last year. It was a testament to GT’s decision to invest in quality bowling.
Under Ashish Nehra, GT’s head coach since 2022, the franchise has always punched above their weight. From winning the title in their maiden season to being in touching distance of becoming just the third IPL team to lift back-to-back trophies, Nehra’s gut has taken them far.
The IPL 2026 season is just 5 days away. Before it commences, let’s take a look at areas where GT has a grip and where they lag, aka, their SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis.
IPL 2026: SWOT analysis of Gujarat Titans
Strengths
Last year, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler were among the top 10 scorers. Combined, the trio scored 1,947 runs (650, 759, and 538). The opposition hardly, if ever, got past them. If one failed, the other two stood up. Only one other team had two batters in the upper echelons, while GT had three. Sudharsan even took the orange cap home.
Realising the fragility of the batting order, all three took their time and then exploded. Now, that meant they breached the 220 mark just twice in 15 matches. But it was enough for them, since they had some of the best bowlers. Prasidh Krishna was the winner of the purple cap, while Sai Kishore claimed 19 wickets in 42.3 overs.
One can even say that Kishore wasn’t even used correctly since out-of-form Rashid Khan bowled more overs and took 10 fewer wickets. Mohammed Siraj was on point as well, and his economy of 9.24 wasn’t that bad considering he bowled in the powerplay and in the death.
It’s safe to assume we can expect similar results. Rashid is expected to perform better, while Kishore and Prasidh could see a dip in performance. But Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Kagiso Rabada, Luke Wood, Ashok Sharma, and Gurnoor Singh Brar will add much more.
Weaknesses
One of GT’s strengths, the top three batters, is only their weakness. Last season, Sherfane Rutherford was GT’s fourth-best batter. He scored 291 runs in 11 innings. The West Indian has been traded to the Mumbai Indians (MI). No other batter registered even 200 runs.
Washington Sundar is expected to be promoted to number four. But he played just 5 matches in 2025. Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia were hit and miss. Glenn Phillips didn’t play even one game after he got injured while fielding. Tom Banton, Anuj Rawat, and Kumar Kushagra aren’t proven commodities in IPL.
While they have the names who can do well. But one can’t count on them to perform. Due to this, Gill, Buttle, and Sudharsan are forced to bat more slowly. How can you let go if you don’t trust the batters who’ll follow?
Opportunities
As mentioned above, Gill’s usage of bowlers wasn’t great. It’s an issue we’ve seen with him for India as well. He doesn’t seem to trust spinners. We’ve previously seen him under bowl Sundar in England and Kishore in IPL. It’ll be fascinating to see how he handles Rashid, Kishore, Sundar, Nishant Sandhu, Manav Suthar, and Jayant Yadav.
Sundar hasn’t been treated well by GT. He played just 6 matches last year. The all-rounder has batted as high as number three in Test cricket, meaning he has no technical issues. His strike rate was a concern before but last season, he displayed what he can do. Perhaps we’ll see a 2.0 version of Sundar, his awakening as a true T20 all-rounder.
Threats
Buttler was one of the prongs in the top three trident. However, his form of late has been concerning. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026, the Englishman scored just 87 runs at 10.87. His strike rate stood at an abysmal 116. If he doesn’t come good for GT, they’ll be even more dependent on Gill and Sudharsan.
If the middle order doesn’t inspire confidence, GT’s top three can’t go hard. On top of this, they don’t have batters like Abhishek Sharma, Phil Salt, Tim David, Nicholas Pooran, or Romario Shepherd who can strike at a rate of even 250 or 300 if on song. In a game where scoring 250 is becoming the norm, GT might be behind the curve.
Strongest Gujarat Titans Playing XI for IPL 2026
| S. No. | Player | Backup Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill | |
| 2 | Sai Sudharsan | |
| 3 | Jos Buttler (wk)✈️ | |
| 4 | Washington Sundar | |
| 5 | Glenn Phillips (wk)✈️ | Tom Banton (wk)✈️ |
| 6 | Shahrukh Khan | Anuj Rawat (wk)/ Kumar Kushagra (wk) |
| 7 | Rahul Tewatia | Nishant Sindhu |
| 8 | Jason Holder✈️ | Arshad Khan |
| 9 | Rashid Khan✈️ | Luke Wood✈️/ Kagiso Rabada✈️ |
| 10 | Sai Kishore | Manav Suthar/ Jayant Yadav |
| 11 | Mohammed Siraj | |
| 12 (Impact Sub) | Prasidh Krishna | Ishant Sharma/ Prithvi Raj Yarra/ Ashok Sharma/ Gurnoor Singh Brar |
Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2026
Batters: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk)✈️, Anuj Rawat (wk), Tom Banton (wk)✈️, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shahrukh Khan
All-rounders: Washington Sundar, Jason Holder✈️, Glenn Phillips (wk)✈️, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan✈️, Nishant Sindhu
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshad Khan, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada✈️, Luke Wood✈️, Ashok Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Manav Suthar, Prithviraj Yarra, Sai Kishore
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