3 best IPL 2025 retention combinations for GT ft. Shubman Gill & Rashid Khan
The Gujarat Titans (GT) had a disappointing campaign in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). They were never really in playoff contention and missed out on the top four for the first time in their short history in the league.
Much of that was down to the Titans losing Hardik Pandya in a trade with the Mumbai Indians. Mohammed Shami's absence and loss of form for many of the older players didn't help matters either.
Going forward, how can Gujarat bounce back? On that note, here are the three best IPL 2025 retention combinations for GT.
#3 Retain the entire core - Gill (18) + Rashid (18) + Miller (14) + Shami (14) + Sai Sudharsan (11) + Tewatia (4)
Early indications suggest that the Gujarat Titans are a franchise that don't like too many changes. They've stuck by the same bunch of players over the last three years, despite losing Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2024 season.
Gujarat might want some continuity ahead of the mega auction, prompting them to retain their entire core. Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan are obvious picks, as captain and vice-captain respectively.
GT could also decide to keep David Miller, Mohammed Shami, and Sai Sudharsan. While Miller is an overseas middle-order batter who can destroy pace and preserve his wicket against spin, Shami is a deadly Indian powerplay bowling option. Both profiles will be hard to find at the auction.
Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, has all the makings of an incredible player. He has all the basic attributes needed to succeed, and while his intent can be higher at times, there's no doubt that he is one to build a team around.
With their uncapped slot, GT could retain Rahul Tewatia, who has won them a few games and can contribute some overs of leg-spin.
#2 Get bold with it - Rashid (18) + Gill (14) + Noor (11) + Shahrukh Khan (4)
Shami is recovering from a long-term injury, while Miller didn't have a great campaign in IPL 2024. Both players are aging and might not fetch massive amounts at the auction. Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, might also go for less than his retention amount, giving GT the chance to buy him outright or RTM him.
So apart from Rashid and Gill, the Titans might not have too many players worth locking down ahead of the auction. If they want to take an unconventional route, Gujarat could secure another deadly wrist-spinner to partner Rashid. Noor Ahmad has been in excellent form lately and has gone from strength to strength across T20 tournaments.
Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan might be a better uncapped retention option than Tewatia. The big-hitting right-hander can chip in with off-spin while also having arguably a higher ceiling than the southpaw.
#1 Retain just the essentials - Rashid (18) + Gill (14) + Sai Sudharsan (11)
The most obvious approach for GT to take is to retain Gill, Rashid, and Sai Sudharsan to secure the core of their team. If they want to, they should be able to get all the other players at cheaper prices than the retention slabs at the IPL 2025 auction.
Gujarat underperformed in IPL 2024, and a fresh start could serve them well. Retaining just three players would give them a purse on par with or greater than most of the other nine franchises, while also giving them three RTM cards to be used when necessary.
That flexibility, along with a core to build around might give GT the best chance of having a good auction.