Gujarat Titans are set to retain their captain Shubman Gill alongside star spinner Rashid Khan and left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan ahead of the IPL mega auction.
Uncapped hitters Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan are also expected to be retained by the franchise. “Shubman, Rashid and Sai will be retained by the franchise,” said an IPL source. Gill, who is seen a future leader in the Indian cricket setup, had captained Titans for the first time earlier this year when the side finished eighth out of 10 teams.
Titans had won the IPL on debut in 2022 before finishing runners-up the following year, both under Hardik Pandya’s leadership.
The decision to retain Rashid is also on expected lines. The 26-year old took 19 wickets in his maiden season with the team in 2022 before collecting 27 wickets in the following season. His form dipped this season when he took 10 wickets in 12 games at an average of 36.70.
Sudharsan will also be retained ahead of the deadline on October 31 after a breakout year when he amassed 527 runs in 12 games including a hundred. The young batter has featured in three ODIs and a T20 for the national team.
Uncapped Shahrukh Khan batted at an impressive strike rate of 169.33 and at Rs 4 crore, he would come with a bargain price for the franchise.
IPL veteran Tewatia, who has played close to 100 games, is another batter Titans are expected to retain. The southpaw batted with a 145 plus strike last season.
The mega auction is likely to be held overseas in the last week of November. The auction purse has been increased to Rs 120 crore from the Rs 100 crore teams had at their disposal at last year’s auction.
The total salary cap now consists of auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. The match fee, set at Rs 7.5 lakh per game, has been introduced ahead of the next season.
The teams can retain up to six players, via retention or right to match, from the existing squad, the highest in IPL history.