GT Retention List IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans Keep Core Squad, Release Gerald Coetzee With ₹12.90 Crore Purse

Gujarat Titans have finalized their retention list for the IPL 2026 season, making strategic decisions by releasing South African pacer Gerald Coetzee and four other players while retaining 20 players from their IPL 2025 campaign. The franchise, which finished fourth last season and reached the Eliminator before losing to Mumbai Indians, has opted for squad continuity ahead of the December 16 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi. With captain Shubman Gill leading the retained core and INR 12.90 crore available in their auction purse, Gujarat Titans enters the mini-auction with clear objectives to strengthen middle-order depth and death-bowling options that prevented them from converting playoff qualification into title contention.

GT’s Strategic Retention Philosophy

After a solid yet ultimately disappointing IPL 2025 campaign that saw Gujarat Titans finish fourth on the points table with nine wins from 14 matches before an Eliminator exit, the team maintained an overwhelmingly conservative approach by retaining the core performers that delivered consistent results throughout most of the season. The retention strategy reflects lessons learned from a late-season collapse, prioritizing proven performers, established leadership, and squad stability over expensive overseas players who couldn’t deliver regular match-winning contributions.

Under the leadership of captain Shubman Gill and guided by head coach Ashish Nehra and director of cricket Vikram Solanki, Gujarat Titans emphasized maintaining the formidable top-order trio of Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler—all of whom crossed 500 runs during IPL 2025. The franchise’s decision to retain 20 of 25 players demonstrates supreme confidence in the existing squad composition while creating strategic flexibility through minimal but purposeful releases.

Vikram Solanki, Director of Cricket for Gujarat Titans, explained the retention philosophy: “Retention is always a strategic process and this year our aim was to secure a core that aligns with our long-term vision. The players we’ve retained bring a mix of experience, potential and character, qualities that form the foundation of a successful franchise.”

Gujarat Titans’ Complete Retained Players List for IPL 2026

The retention of 20 players—including 16 Indians and 4 overseas—demonstrates Gujarat Titans’ commitment to building around a proven top-order, world-class spin attack led by Rashid Khan, and one of the IPL’s most fearsome pace batteries featuring Rabada, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.

The Gerald Coetzee Release: Pace Promise Unfulfilled

Perhaps the most significant decision in Gujarat Titans’ retention list is the release of South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, whose underwhelming IPL 2025 campaign and injury concerns failed to justify his overseas slot despite his raw pace potential. Signed as an overseas pace option, Coetzee only featured in 4 matches in IPL 2025, taking 2 wickets with an economy rate of 10.92.

The 24-year-old’s struggles stemmed from multiple factors—inconsistent line and length, expensive spells in crucial situations, and a concerning injury history that limited his availability throughout the tournament. With Gujarat Titans possessing one of the IPL’s strongest pace attacks featuring Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Ishant Sharma, Coetzee’s inability to cement a regular playing XI spot made his overseas slot expendable.

Gerald Coetzee: IPL 2025 Performance Analysis

GT’s release of Gerald Coetzee, a high-pace strike bowler, hints at a strategic shift towards experience-heavy death bowling options alongside Rabada, Siraj, and Rashid Khan. The franchise’s decision reflects a pragmatic assessment—while Coetzee possesses express pace that can reach 150 km/h, his inability to control that pace in pressure situations and translate it into consistent wickets made him a luxury GT couldn’t afford.

The South African’s release frees up a crucial overseas slot that Gujarat Titans can utilize at the December auction to target a more proven international player who offers either middle-order finishing power or specialist death-bowling expertise—both areas where GT showed vulnerabilities during their late-season collapse.

Sherfane Rutherford Trade: Death-Overs Power Sold

Beyond outright releases, Gujarat Titans’ most impactful roster move came through the trade window when they sent West Indian power-hitter Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians for INR 2.60 crore. The decision represents a calculated gamble, trading away proven finishing ability for auction flexibility and purse space.

Rutherford held a strike rate above 160 in the last season, but has now been traded by Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians. This also means someone else would have to take over the responsibility of some big hits for the team in the death overs.

The 26-year-old’s explosive batting in death overs provided Gujarat Titans with crucial late-innings acceleration during IPL 2025. However, with Glenn Phillips retained as an overseas all-rounder who offers similar power-hitting alongside bowling options, and domestic finishers like Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan available, GT management felt comfortable sacrificing Rutherford’s services to create squad flexibility.

Gujarat Titans’ Trade Window Activity

The trade underscores GT’s confidence in their domestic middle-order depth and suggests they’ll target a more complete overseas all-rounder at the auction—someone who can provide both batting firepower and bowling overs rather than just finishing ability.

Other Strategic Releases

Beyond Coetzee and the Rutherford trade, Gujarat Titans released four additional players to optimize squad composition and create minor auction flexibility.

Gujarat Titans’ Complete Released Players List

Dasun Shanaka, the Sri Lankan all-rounder and former T20I captain, was released after failing to feature in even a single match across two IPL seasons with Gujarat Titans. His consistent exclusion from the playing XI made his retention untenable, particularly given the premium value placed on overseas slots.

Karim Janat, the Afghanistan all-rounder, was largely underutilized in IPL 2025, playing just 1 match. In that sole appearance, he was extremely expensive, conceding runs at a catastrophic economy rate of 30.00 from his single over, and failed to score with the bat. His disastrous debut made him an obvious candidate for release.

Mahipal Lomror, the domestic all-rounder, found playing opportunities scarce in a squad blessed with versatile options like Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, and Shahrukh Khan. His expendability reflected GT’s depth in the all-rounder department.

Kulwant Khejroliya, the Indian pacer, played just one match during IPL 2025 and couldn’t break into a pace attack dominated by Rabada, Siraj, Krishna, and Ishant Sharma. His release creates a roster spot for potentially more impactful domestic pace talent at the auction.

The Orange Cap Winner Sai Sudharsan Retention

Gujarat Titans’ most valuable retention decision was keeping Orange Cap winner Sai Sudharsan, whose phenomenal IPL 2025 campaign established him as one of the tournament’s premier young batsmen. After scoring 759 runs in IPL 2025, Sudharsan is GT’s batting powerhouse. Retaining him ensures the franchise secures its most prolific scorer at a cost-effective price for IPL 2026.

The 23-year-old left-hander’s consistency throughout the season provided Gujarat Titans with top-order stability that few IPL teams could match. His ability to pace innings, accelerate when needed, and anchor chases made him indispensable to GT’s batting plans. Paired with captain Shubman Gill—himself a former Orange Cap winner—and Jos Buttler’s explosive power, Sudharsan forms one-third of the IPL’s most formidable top-three combinations.

The retention of this batting trio ensures Gujarat Titans enters IPL 2026 with their primary run-scoring mechanism intact, allowing them to focus auction resources on addressing middle-order finishing and bowling depth rather than rebuilding their top order from scratch.

The Rashid Khan Retention: World-Class Spin Anchor

Equally crucial to Sai Sudharsan’s retention was Gujarat Titans’ decision to keep Afghan spin wizard Rashid Khan, whose world-class leg-spin and middle-overs control remains central to the franchise’s tactical identity. The world-class leg-spinner remains a central figure. His ability to control middle overs and pick wickets consistently makes him a vital retention for Gujarat’s balanced lineup.

Rashid’s unique combination of wicket-taking ability, economical bowling, and lower-order hitting makes him one of the IPL’s most complete players. His retention alongside domestic spinners Sai Kishore, Manav Suthar, and Jayant Yadav ensures GT maintains one of the tournament’s strongest spin departments—crucial for navigating the middle overs and defending totals at their Ahmedabad home venue.

Auction Strategy: Targeting Specific Positions

With INR 12.90 crore remaining and five roster slots available (including four overseas positions), Gujarat Titans enters the December 16 mini-auction with precise priorities rather than extensive squad reconstruction requirements.

Primary Auction Targets:

1. Middle-Order Finishing All-Rounder: GT’s middle order received limited time in the middle due to the exceptional top-three form, leading to concerns over depth and flexibility in high-pressure situations. The franchise needs a proven finisher who can accelerate from ball one and provide death-overs batting insurance.

2. Death-Overs Pace Specialist: With Gerald Coetzee’s release creating a gap in specialist death bowling, GT requires an experienced pacer capable of bowling yorkers and slower deliveries in the final overs. This becomes particularly crucial given their late-season bowling failures.

3. Explosive Top-Order Backup: While the Gill-Sudharsan-Buttler trio is formidable, GT lacks depth when injuries strike or form dips. A versatile opener who can slot anywhere in the top four would provide crucial insurance.

4. Overseas All-Round Balance: With Rutherford traded and Coetzee released, two overseas slots are available. GT should target players who offer both skills—ideally a pace-bowling all-rounder who can bat in the middle order.

5. Young Domestic Talent for Squad Depth: With moderate purse remaining after addressing primary needs, GT can invest in promising uncapped Indian players who offer value-for-money options across batting and bowling departments.

Gujarat Titans’ approach suggests surgical acquisitions focused on plugging specific gaps rather than squad overhaul. Head coach Ashish Nehra commented, “We’ve retained a group that gives us balance and clarity as we plan for the season ahead. We appreciate the efforts of the released players and wish them well for the future.”

Building Around Shubman Gill’s Leadership

The retention of Shubman Gill as captain signals Gujarat Titans’ long-term leadership vision. GT’s captain and star top-order batter, Shubman Gill, is a non-negotiable retention. His consistent form and leadership ensure stability, anchoring the batting lineup and setting up strong totals for the Titans.

With a largely unchanged squad and clearer role definitions heading into IPL 2026, Gill will have the continuity needed to implement strategic plans effectively. The combination of Gill’s captaincy, Rashid Khan’s spin mastery, the Rabada-Siraj pace partnership, and Sai Sudharsan’s run-scoring consistency creates a formidable core capable of title contention.

The franchise’s philosophy of maintaining squad stability while making targeted improvements positions them perfectly for addressing the late-season collapse that prevented playoff progression in IPL 2025. With Jos Buttler’s explosive starts, Washington Sundar’s all-round contributions, and one of the IPL’s deepest bowling attacks, GT needs only minor tweaks to transform from playoff participants into championship contenders.

Read More: Mumbai Indians Retain Core Stars: MI Lock 20 Players Ahead of IPL 2026 Mini-Auction

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