Shai Hope to Yash Dhull: 5 Players Gujarat Titans Can Target at IPL 2026 Auction

The IPL 2022 Gujarat Titans will be aiming to clinch their second triumph by signing impactful players at the IPL 2026 Auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, December 16. With a purse of 12.9 crore and 5 slots, including 4 overseas, to fill, the Titans will aim to strengthen their squad with key signings ahead of IPL 2026.

On that note, let’s take a look at five players the Gujarat Titans can make bids for at the Abu Dhabi auction.

Shai Hope was part of the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, where he scored 183 runs in 9 matches before being released by the franchise ahead of the mega auction last year. West Indies wicketkeeper-batter went unsold in the last IPL auction and is now back again after being listed at a base price of 2 crore at the IPL 2026 Auction.

With four overseas slots left for the Gujarat Titans, Shai Hope could be bid for as a backup wicketkeeper for Jos Buttler, who was retained by the franchise ahead of the auction. Hope can play a range of stroke plays in his arsenal and can be useful on tricky tracks. With a good record in T20 cricket, with 5144 runs at an average of 30.61 in 194 matches, Hope could offer GT a steady middle-order option and dependable backup wicketkeeper.

Another overseas player Gujarat Titans can bid for is New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy. Duffy has not yet played for any team in the Indian Premier League and has been listed at a base price of 2 crore at the IPL 2026 Auction, the highest among the eight brackets. The 31-year-old recently played a huge role in New Zealand’s win over West Indies in the 2nd Test, taking a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

Gujarat Titans are in need of one genuine overseas pacer after retaining Kagiso Rabada, and Jacob Duffy could be an ideal option to partner him, given his ability to generate bounce, hit hard lengths, and strike regularly with the new ball and at the death in T20 cricket. With 219 T20 wickets, out of which 53 scalps came at the international level, Jacob Duffy could add much-needed firepower to GT’s pace bowling unit.

Kyle Mayers was part of the Lucknow Super Giants for two seasons in IPL 2023 and 2024. Although he was retained by the franchise for IPL 2024, the West Indies all-rounder did not play a single game, and he was eventually released from the squad. In the last IPL Auction, Mayers went unsold as he did not find any buyer at a base price of INR 1.5 crore. Kyle Mayers is back in the auction again as he has been listed at a base of INR 1.25 crore.

Mayers is likely to make bids, and the Gujarat Titans might consider him for an extra all-rounder, who can contribute with the bat and bowl, offering left-handed power at the top and a useful seam bowling option, making him a flexible squad option for GT. With 4237 runs and 70 wickets in T20 cricket, the West Indies all-rounder adds left-handed batting depth and a handy seam option, giving the Gujarat Titans a flexible all-round choice.

With only one Indian slot left, the Gujarat Titans can bid for a domestic batter by targeting Yash Dhull. Dhull was part of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2023 and 2024. but did not play a single game. The 2022 U19 World Cup-winning captain went unsold in the last IPL Auction and underwent heart surgery this year. Dhull is back in the auction as an uncapped Indian player listed at a base price of INR 30 lakh.

Yash Dhull has been in impressive form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 261 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 37.28 in seven matches. The 22-year-old had an incredible campaign in Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, amassing 435 runs at an average of 87.00 in 8 matches. Given his domestic performances this year, the Gujarat Titans could take a low-risk punt on Yash Dhull as a long-term middle-order investment.

Another player Gujarat Titans can target is Akash Madhwal, who played for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 and 2024 before playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the last season. He was released by RR following 2025 and has been listed as an uncapped Indian player at a base of INR 30 lakh. Akash was shot to fame with his five-wicket haul for MI in IPL 2023, but his career has been quite taken off.

With only a slot left to add an Indian player, the Gujarat Titans can think of having a backup seamer for Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshad Khan by including Akash Madhwal as a budget-friendly backup pacer, banking on his death-overs skills and prior IPL experience to add depth and flexibility to GT’s fast bowling resources.