Gujarat Titans (GT) had an impressive campaign in IPL 2025, winning nine out of 14 league games to secure a playoff spot. Then, they lost to the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, bringing an end to their campaign. With the trade window currently open, there have been talks of GT target players in IPL 2026.

3 Likely GT Target players in IPL 2026

Interestingly, Titans’ players Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna emerged as the Orange Cap and Purple Cap winners, respectively. Although their top-order and bowling departments have enough experience, they certainly lack depth in the middle-order. Let’s discuss a little about their performances last year and take a look at GT trade targets for the next edition of the IPL.

Sam Curran

Role: All-rounder (England)
Current Team: Chennai Super Kings

The English all-rounder played only five games for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025, scoring 114 runs and picking a solitary wicket in five games. Apart from his career-best knock of 88, he could not leave a significant impact on the team’s performance. Moreover, he could not fit into the CSK setup with the presence of veteran middle-order batters.

Great to be back @ChennaiIPL 💛 https://t.co/YAbHCf9ItT

— Sam Curran (@CurranSM) March 17, 2025

According to speculations, Curran could likely be released ahead of the next auction. As a result, he could be one of the prime GT trade targets in IPL 2026. With his presence, the Titans would be boosted by an all-rounder who could contribute proactively in both departments. It is worth mentioning that Sam Curran contributed 238 runs and scalped 12 wickets to help the Oval Invincibles secure a title victory in The Hundred 2025. It also helped him to make his T20I comeback.

Ayush Badoni

Role: Middle-order batter (India)
Current Team: Lucknow Super Giants

Ayush Badoni has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants in the last four seasons. He produced his finest season in 2025, scoring 329 runs in 14 games at an average of 32.90, with a top score of 74.

Proud of the fight. Proud of you, Ayush 💙 pic.twitter.com/Y5hkZHbAXs

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 4, 2025

However, Badoni hasn’t quite proved to be a lethal finisher during his tenure with the Super Giants, despite batting in the lower middle-order. If he can be among GT trade targets, the franchise could also offer him a promotion up the order and give him a license to play his natural game. If paired up with left-hander Rahul Tewatia, the pair can do wonders for GT in the slog overs.

Will Jacks

Role: Top-order batter (England)
Current Team: Mumbai Indians

Will Jacks batted at No. 3 for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2025. Apart from a solitary fifty, he could not be consistent enough. He went on to end the season with 233 runs in 13 games at an average of 23.30.

Solid batting by Will 💪
Brilliant bowling by Jacks 🎯

Your Player of the Match – Will Jacks 😎💙#MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai #TATAIPL #MIvLSG pic.twitter.com/lT8Xw0PHk3

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 28, 2025

Recently, Jacks slammed 275 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 154.49 in The Hundred 2025 and certainly impressed with his ball-striking abilities. With a batting-heavy MI roster, Will Jacks could be released ahead of the mini-auction. With the flexibility to play in the middle-order, Jacks could be among the GT target players in IPL 2026.

GT Squad Overview and Analysis

The Gujarat Titans’ opening combination of Shubman Gill (650 runs) and Sai Sudharsan (759 runs) was sensational with their consistent performances in IPL 2025. With a good mix of caution and aggression, they helped the team to get off to brilliant starts on most occasions. They finished third overall in terms of scoring the most runs (912) by a pair in a single IPL season. Meanwhile, No. 3 batter Jos Buttler was also impressive in continuing the team’s momentum, scoring 538 runs.

However, the problem lies in the team’s middle-order, which comprises Sherfane Rutherford, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, and Shahrukh Khan. With 291 runs at an average of 32.33, Rutherford did well but failed to convert his starts into a big knock on quite a few occasions. Meanwhile, Shahrukh scored 179 runs at an average of 29.83, with a solitary fifty. Certainly, the right-hander could not make his chances count in a season where he got to face 100 balls. Although Tewatia held a strike rate of 167.79, he could contribute only 99 runs at an average of less than 13. Sundar played six games and tried well to post 133 runs at an average of 26.60.

Pichli baar bola tha na “Mai khada hoon idhar!” 😎 pic.twitter.com/4FjnUa7hKf

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 6, 2025

With Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Prasidh Krishna as the pacers, and Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore being the spinners, GT target players in IPL 2026 might not be the bowlers. They are likely to spend on acquiring all-rounders and quality middle-order batters like Sam Curran and Ayush Badoni we talked about.

Along with a few of the aforementioned middle-order batters, the Titans can let go of players like Mahipal Lomror and Glenn Phillips, who didn’t play any of the games last year. Moreover, overseas all-rounders like Karim Janat, Gerald Coetzee, and veteran pacer Ishant Sharma can also be released. The release of these players might help the Titans to have a purse amount of over 10 crore, which will allow them to secure the services of GT target players in IPL 2026.