5 GT players in IPL 2025 who were earlier a part of PBKS ft. Kagiso Rabada
Gujarat Titans (GT) host Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the fifth match of IPL 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, March 25. The hosts will be keen on getting their season off to a good start, whereas for PBKS, the sole aim will be to forget the memories of their previous seasons and embark on a new, optimistic journey under a new captain and coach.
Interestingly, a lot of players who are now wearing GT colors, have turned up for PBKS in the past, and even done well for them. These players will have the added advantage of knowing how their former franchise functions and can help give a few cents to their current teammates and aid in their preparation.
In this listicle, we take a look at five GT players who were earlier a part of PBKS:
#5 Gurnoor Brar
Gurnoor Brar is one of the current GT players who was earlier a part of PBKS in the IPL. The right-arm fast bowler, known to hit the deck hard and trouble batters with his pace, played just one game for PBKS, back in IPL 2023. He bowled three overs in that game against Lucknow Super Giants in Mohali.
Brar conceded 42 runs in that game without picking up a wicket, and has not featured in the IPL ever since. In the mega auction held in November 2024, he was snapped up by PBKS for a whopping ₹1.30 crore despite him playing in just three T20s in his entire career.
Interestingly, he has not picked up a single wicket in his T20 career so far. Fans will be astonished to know that he made his IPL debut before making his senior T20 debut for his state, Punjab.
#4 Rahul Tewatia
Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia, who has starred on quite a few occasions in the IPL with his late-order hitting and more than useful leg-break bowling, has played for PBKS in the past. This time around, however, he will be turning up for GT, as he has done since the 2022 edition of the IPL. He was retained by GT ahead of the mega auction.
In the last three seasons, Tewatia's strike rate for GT has been 147, 152 and 145, respectively, even though the franchise has gradually reduced their dependence on his bowling. He played for PBKS for just one season in 2017 and batted at a strike rate of 172. His economy rate with the ball in hand was 5.44 that season.
#3 Shahrukh Khan
Star Tamil Nadu batter Shahrukh Khan, who earlier played for PBKS, will continue turning up for GT after they signed him ahead of IPL 2024. Khan played three seasons for PBKS from 2021 to 2023 but failed to stamp his authority in the way he would have wanted. It was only in 2023 that he struck at a rate of 165.
In 2024, Khan did well in the limited opportunities he got for GT, scoring 127 runs in seven innings, striking at a highly impressive rate of 169. Although his average was a tad disappointing at 18, he hit nine fours and nine sixes, and that was enough for the franchise to retain him ahead of the mega auction.
#2 Ishant Sharma
Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma, who has done the country proud with his exploits in Test cricket, played a sole season for PBKS in 2017. He turned up for them in just six matches but went wicketless while conceding a whopping 179 runs. Sharma's economy rate too suffered as he conceded his runs at a rate of 9.94.
This time around, however, Sharma will be tasked with leading the GT bowling attack alongside South African seamer Kagiso Rabada, and this is something the experienced bowler will be keen on doing. His ability to get the ball to seam back in despite his advancing years (36) still makes him a threat in T20 cricket.
#1 Kagiso Rabada
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada leads the ranks of former PBKS players who now ply their trade for GT. Rabada will be expected to helm the bowling attack for the Ahmedabad-based franchise this season and showcase his skills both when the ball is new and old. He is undoubtedly among the best fast bowlers in the world.
Rabada was a part of PBKS from IPL 2022 to 2024 and was almost single-handedly responsible for them picking up wickets inside the powerplay, which is a role he will have to recreate this season for GT. The 29-year-old has picked up 117 wickets in 80 IPL matches, and will be a vital weapon for skipper Shubman Gill.