3 GT players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction ft. Kagiso Rabada

The Gujarat Titans (GT) had a decent campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). For most of the league stage, it seemed like they'd finish in the top two and play Qualifier 1. Although that wasn't to be, with the Titans being ousted in the Eliminator, it was a promising season for the 2022 champions.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, GT will want to address a few problem areas in their side. Gujarat have many bases covered in both departments, but they still aren't a completely well-rounded T20 side. Moreover, a few overseas players and veterans seem to be misfits in the squad for varying reasons.

GT's squad for IPL 2025 (including replacements): Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Sherfane Rutherford, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, M Shahrukh Khan, Mahipal Lomror, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Karim Janat, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gerald Coetzee, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Mendis (temp).

On that note, here are three GT players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

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#3 Ishant Sharma

2025 IPL - Gujarat Titans v Sunrisers Hyderabad - Source: Getty

Ishant Sharma is clearly nearing the end of his career at the top level. Although he has done well in patches at the IPL level, he had a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. The veteran pacer picked up just four wickets at an economy rate of 11.18 in the seven matches he played.

GT will want to replace Ishant with a younger pacer who has a higher upside. Ashish Nehra is known to value experience, but the 36-year-old hasn't taken more than 10 wickets in an IPL season since 2019 and his economy rate has been consistently on the side.

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#2 Kagiso Rabada

Australia v South Africa - T20 Series: Game 3 - Source: Getty

One of GT's biggest earners, Kagiso Rabada was signed for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. The South African featured in just four matches in the season, taking two wickets at an economy rate of 11.57. His involvement was affected by a reported drug-related issue, as a result of which he had to leave the contingent temporarily.

Rabada's skills seem well suited to Ahmedabad, so it's understandable why GT wanted to splurge on him. But his T20 game hasn't gotten any sharper in recent times, and he isn't reliable at the death or even in the powerplay. The experienced fast bowler is also commanding a huge portion of the budget.

With other options available on the market, the Titans might look to release Rabada. At the most, they should look to buy him back at the auction for a lower amount.

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#1 Karim Janat

Afghanistan v Bangladesh: Super Eight - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 - Source: Getty

It's hard to see what Karim Janat is doing at an IPL franchise. While a player who has developed his game well in recent times and offers a good utility option in both departments, the Afghan all-rounder certainly doesn't inspire enough confidence to warrant taking up one of the eight overseas slots in the GT squad.

In IPL 2025, Janat featured in just one match, going for plenty of runs in the solitary over he bowled. Not likely to be trusted with both bat and ball, he doesn't add much value to the squad. Releasing him seems a straightforward choice, although pace-bowling all-rounders of a higher quality won't come cheap at the IPL 2026 auction.