Can gritty Gill, super Siraj bring glory for Gujarat Titans?:Consistency key for 2022 champions; GT SWOT analysis

A title win in their debut season (2022), a final appearance (2023), a forgettable 2024 and a playoff berth in 2025 – Gujarat Titans have had quite the journey in their first four years in the competition. As a matter of fact, Gujarat Titans have somewhat become a picture of consistency. And with such consistency will come expectations. Expectations to taste IPL glory once again. Having retained much of their core unit from the last year, Gujarat Titans made some key acquisitions at the IPL 2026 auction last year. But do Shubman Gill and his team have what it takes to go all the way? Let’s understand this with the help of the team’s SWOT analysis. Strengths: Stellar top-order, complete bowling attack Gujarat Titans’ main strength lies in their top order. Captain Shubman (650 runs), Sai Sudharsan (759 runs) and Jos Buttler (538 runs) were on fire last season, and they are a unit that is more likely to succeed than fail. All three of them were among the top 10 run-scorers last season. And there’s no reason why this unit won’t fire again. Shubman will have a point to prove, especially after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad in a surprising move. The right-hander did little to justify his T20I credentials in the opportunities he got last year, but that does not make him any less of the player he is. Sudharsan was the highest scorer last season with 759 runs in 15 appearances. In four seasons, the left-hander has only risen from strength to strength and is arguably among the batters to watch out for. A solid season this year would only add more strength to his white-ball credentials. Buttler, on his part, had a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign. Despite England making the semis, Buttler’s flop show was among the talking points with 87 runs in eight matches. IPL 2026 just might witness the redemption of Buttler, and if it happens, Gujarat Titans can become an unstoppable force. Another major area of strength for the Gujarat Titans lies in their well-rounded bowling attack. Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna will form the pace attack, while the spin-bowling responsibilities will be shouldered by Rashid Khan and Washington Sundar. Prasidh was the highest wicket-taker last season, with 25 wickets in 15 games. To add to this, Gujarat Titans have talents like Ashok Sharma and Sai Kishore, who can be subbed in as Impact Player as per the team’s requirements. Also read: ‘Virat Kohli on top of his game,’ says Andy Flower: Hazlewood out of season opener; Vettori provides Pat Cummins’ update Weakness: Undercooked middle-order Gujarat Titans’ top order is definitely strong, but the performance of their middle-order players remains an area of concern. While all three of GT’s top three batters scored in excess of 500 runs last season, their next best scorer was Sherfane Rutherford (291 runs), who was traded to the Mumbai Indians prior to the auction. Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia and Shah Rukh Khan do look like a unit that can pack a punch, but have not done much of the heavy lifting that is expected of a middle-order, especially last year. While Tewatia has had considerable IPL experience, and Shahrukh Khan, who boasts of a strike rate close to 150, Sundar (126.17 strike rate) and Phillips (118.18) have not had many middle-order roles to fulfil, and thus, this season might just be a test for them. Gujarat can bring an all-rounder of Jason Holder’s stature to boost the middle-order, but that would mean tampering with the overseas combination in the playing XI. Opportunities: Shubman Gill’s chance for redemption Many might have felt that Gill was hard done by after his T20 World Cup snub, although his performance in the shortest format justified that decision. IPL 2026 will be an excellent opportunity for the right-hander to establish himself in T20 cricket. Gifted with the ability to play classy as well as aggressive shots on both sides of the wicket, a fired-up Shubman is good news for the Gujarat Titans. Not just his batting but his captaincy will also be in focus for Gujarat Titans this year. In 2025, the 26-year-old was named India captain in Tests and ODIs and with a gruelling home season ahead of leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, this IPL will also be an opportunity for Gill to hone his leadership skills and perfect them as much as possible. Threats: Poor form for key players While the hope would definitely be for key players to perform, things could turn out to be catastrophic for the Gujarat Titans should the important players suffer from poor form. In this regard, players like Buttler and Rashid will be in focus. Buttler, as mentioned above, had an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign and should the Englishman’s struggles continue, things can go downhill pretty quickly for the Gujarat Titans. Rashid Khan also has not had the best of performances taking 19 wickets in the last two seasons, with an economy rate well beyond eight. If the Afghan spin star fails to find this rhythm, Gujarat Titans’ title hopes might take a big hit.