The IPL 2026 retention deadline on Sunday, November 16, witnessed the Gujarat Titans (GT) announcing the list of players who will stay with the franchise for another year. However, the rest of them failed to make it to the 2026 GT retention list and will go under the hammer in the mini-auction next month. Due to their impressive performances in IPL 2025, the team management has trusted the abilities of the majority of the players. However, there have been some questionable retentions, which have sparked a debate in the cricket fraternity. Let’s have a detailed look at the players retained by the Titans ahead of the mini-auction.

2026 GT Retention List Overview

Gujarat Titans did well to finish third in the IPL 2025 league stage, with nine wins in 14 games. However, their campaign came to an end after sustaining a 20-run loss against the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. Shubman Gill led the Titans in a proactive fashion and gave the signs of a mature leader. Gill (650) provided excellent starts to GT on most occasions, along with the Orange Cap holder, Sai Sudharsan (759). The duo looked in total comfort in the last season and will look to continue the same momentum in 2026.

Powered by thunder, charged up with lightning for yet another season! ⚡#AavaDe | #TATAIPL2026 | #TATAIPLRetention pic.twitter.com/FRcX24sAVu

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) November 15, 2025

Meanwhile, No. 3 batter Jos Buttler (538) also played a crucial role in setting up big targets for the side and has been a key retention. The middle-order will have the presence of players like Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, and Rahul Tewatia in this edition as well. The experienced pace duo of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj will continue to work in tandem with Purple Cap holder, Prasidh Krishna. Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore will again be the potent spin options for the side.

Aapda Gujarat na Retained Titans! 💙 pic.twitter.com/pzAyCORMW8

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) November 15, 2025

The most notable exclusion was of Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 291 runs at an average of 32.33 in 13 games. Although the southpaw fared well, he could not win enough games with his contributions, which resulted in him getting traded to the Mumbai Indians.

2026 GT Retained Players List: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, and Jayant Yadav.

2026 GT Released Players List: Mahipal Lomror, Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka, Sherfane Rutherford (traded to MI), Gerald Coetzee, and Kulwant Khejroliya.

Surprising Release by GT

Sherfane Rutherford was released from the GT squad and was traded to the Mumbai Indians. The overseas all-rounders like Karim Janat and Dasun Shanaka didn’t play enough games, while Gerald Coetzee failed to impress the team management, resulting in their omission. The most notable exclusion was of Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 291 runs at an average of 32.33 in 13 games. Although the southpaw fared well, he could not win enough games with his contributions, which resulted in him getting traded to the Mumbai Indians.

Sherfane Rutherford Trade：GT Lets Star Batter Go to MI

GT’s Surprising Retentions

Ishant Sharma

The veteran pacer, Ishant Sharma, was used as an Impact player on most occasions in the last edition. He failed badly in his execution, picking just four wickets in seven games at an expensive economy of 11.18. If Sharma fails to regain his form, IPL 2026 might prove to be a potential swan song for him.

Jayant Yadav

Another notable name who made it to the 2026 GT retained players list, Jayant Yadav, played a solitary game in IPL 2025. In that fixture, he bowled four overs and conceded 26 runs. With the presence of spinners like Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, and Sai Kishore, Yadav isn’t expected to find a place in the XI. Hence, his retention doesn’t make sense as per the team combinations.

3 Players GT Can Target in IPL 2026 Auction

After the 2026 GT retention list announcement, GT could utilise 12.9 crore to fill up the holes in their roster for the IPL 2026 edition.

#1 Andre Russell

With the exclusion of Karim Janat, Dasun Shanaka and Gerald Coetzee from the 2026 GT retained players list, GT would be interested in securing the services of a pace-bowling all-rounder. Who could better suit their requirement than Andre Russell, who was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders setup? The Caribbean powerhouse has a few years of cricket left in him and could play a crucial role in both departments, with the focus being on his ability to give a strong finish to the side.

#2 David Miller

After the departure of Sherfane Rutherford, GT would be looking to find an overseas finisher. Interestingly, they will have a choice of bringing David Miller back into their fold after he was released by the Lucknow Super Giants. Miller spent three years with the Titans from 2022-24 and scored 950 runs at an average of 45.24. Notably, he smashed 481 runs to help the Titans secure a title victory in the 2022 edition.

#3 Aaron Hardie

Gujarat Titans can bet on another talented all-rounder, Aaron Hardie, who has been an impressive performer in the Australian circuit. In particular, Hardie scored 460 runs in the 2022-23 edition of the BBL and was part of Australia’s XI for the limited-overs series against South Africa in August 2025 as well. Hardie was a part of the Punjab Kings setup last year, but couldn’t get any game time and was omitted from the roster. If given a chance, he could be a good long-term prospect for the Titans.

Final Words

Overall, the Titans have retained all their core players and will be confident ahead of the mini-auction. However, they will look to secure the services of an experienced all-rounder or a finisher to curate a potent squad.