IPL 2026 auction concluded recently, with teams like Gujarat Titans (GT) making calculated moves to bolster their line-ups ahead of the upcoming season. GT entered with a substantial purse of ₹125 crore, spending ₹123.05 crore on a balanced 25-player squad featuring seven overseas talents. This mini-auction phase highlighted GT’s focus on retaining proven performers while targeting value buys to address depth issues from prior campaigns.​

Gujarat Titans’ intelligent core retentions

Gujarat Titans showcased auction savvy by prioritizing retentions of their high-impact core, ensuring leadership and firepower remained intact. Captain Shubman Gill headlines the retained Indian contingent at ₹16.50 crore, backed by Rashid Khan (₹18.00 crore), the Afghan spinner renowned for match-winning economy rates under pressure. Explosive opener If Buttler commands ₹15.75 crore, bringing white-ball mastery with over 4,000 IPL runs, while pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj (₹12.25 crore) and South African express Kagiso Rabada (₹10.75 crore) form a lethal bowling attack capable of dismantling top orders on any surface.​

Sai Sudharsan (₹8.50 crore) provides elegant top-order stability, complementing Gill’s aggression, as GT builds on their 2022 title-winning blueprint. All-rounders like Rahul Tewatia (₹4.00 crore) and M Shahrukh Khan (₹4.00 crore) add finishing prowess, with Washington Sundar (₹3.20 crore) offering spin-batting utility. Domestic uncapped gems such as Sai Kishore (₹2.00 crore), Gurnoor Brar (₹1.30 crore), and Manav Suthar (₹0.30 crore) were locked in for spin depth and future potential, reflecting GT’s youth-investment philosophy. Overseas retentions like Glenn Phillips (₹2.00 crore) and Tom Banton (base ₹2.00 crore, sold at same) enhance middle-order flexibility, allowing GT to navigate overseas slot constraints effectively.​

These retentions left GT with ₹12.90 crore for auction day, enabling targeted splurges without overextending. Releases of players like Gerald Coetzee and Mahipal Lomror freed slots for fresh blood, signalling a refined strategy post a middling previous season where middle-order fragility cost them playoffs. GT’s management, led by franchise owner CVC Capital, emphasized balance—prioritizing express pace, spin variety, and power-hitting—positioning them as dark horses for IPL 2026.​

Salaries of GT Players in IPL 2026

Auction highlights included West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder‘s blockbuster acquisition for ₹7.00 crore (from ₹2.00 crore base), injecting raw pace, lower-order muscle, and death-over nous to GT’s arsenal. Prasidh Krishna bolstered the seam unit at ₹9.50 crore, his towering bounce suiting bouncy pitches. Lower down, value picks shone: Ashok Sharma (₹0.90 crore from ₹0.30 lakh base), Luke Wood (₹0.75 crore), Jayant Yadav (₹0.75 crore), and Ishant Sharma (₹0.75 crore) provide experienced backups.