The Gujarat Titans (GT) are on the board. They somehow scraped past the Delhi Capitals, largely due to David Miller’s brain fade. Off the back of a Playoffs run last season, the Shubman Gill-led team has earned two points in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, after losing to the Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
However, they can’t let the win paper over the cracks. With Washington Sundar clicking against Delhi, one of their biggest issues, the middle order, has been resolved to some extent. Will Sundar continue to perform? We don’t know. But he did make his first IPL half-century. Rashid Khan returned to form and perhaps delivered his best IPL performance in the last 2 years.
Predicted Gujarat Titans Playing XI vs LSG
| S. No. | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill (c) | Opener |
| 2 | Sai Sudharsan | Opener |
| 3 | Jos Buttler (wk)✈️ | Wicketkeeper |
| 4 | Washington Sundar | All-rounder |
| 5 | Glenn Phillips (wk)✈️ | Middle-order batter |
| 6 | Shahrukh Khan | Batting all-rounder |
| 7 | Rahul Tewatia | Finisher |
| 8 | Jason Holder✈️ | All-rounder |
| 9 | Rashid Khan✈️ | Bowling all-rounder |
| 10 | Ashok Sharma | Right-arm fast bowler |
| 11 | Mohammed Siraj | Right-arm fast bowler |
| Impact Sub | Prasidh Krishna | Right-arm fast bowler |
Holder over Rabada
However, the fast bowling is an issue. Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Ashok Sharma were hammered. Combined, they went for 149 runs in 11 overs. However, the bigger issue has been Kagiso Rabada. In 3 matches, he has 1 wicket in the powerplay. Outside it, he has 2. So, he’s taken just 3 wickets in 3 matches and is going at 9.81 runs per over.
That’s not good. In modern T20 cricket, where batters don’t stop hitting and maximise the powerplay, you need to chip in with the wickets. Rabada isn’t doing that. And Siraj can’t do that every day. As for Ashok and Prasidh, they are primarily middle-overs bowlers, although Gujarat has used Ashok in the powerplay.
Jason Holder bowling record in T20s since 2025
| Innings | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4-fers | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 111 | 21.91 | 8.43 | 15.5 | 7 | 14/4 |
It’s baffling that they haven’t picked Jason Holder. He was good in the T20 World Cup 2026 and, since 2025, has the most wickets in T20 cricket. Like Rabada, he’s a new-ball bowler. But he’s most versatile. The West Indian is taller and has more variety.
Although Rabada nearly helped Rashid to pull off a heist against Rajasthan, he’s not an all-rounder, which Holder is. So, not only is he a better bowler than Rabada for the last 15 months, but he is also better than the likes of Rahul Tewatia. Again, it’s rather shocking that he’s been benched. And now might be the best chance to give him a game.
Jason Holder batting record in T20s since 2025
| Inns | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 50s | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 1011 | 24.65 | 161.76 | 2 | 63 |
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