IPL 2025: 5 Domestic players who can make a difference for Gujarat Titans

In this article, we take a look at the five domestic players who can make a difference for the Gujarat Titans (GT) this coming season. 

After a commanding title win in their first season, which was followed by a narrow last-ball defeat in the final the season after, the Gujarat Titans had a disappointing outing last year as they finished eighth and lacked bite both in their batting and bowling.

Ahead of the next IPL edition, having retained most of their key performers, the Titans have assembled a well-balanced and strong squad. Thus, in his second year as GT skipper, can Shubman Gill help the Titans repeat the heroics of 2022? 

Prasidh Krishna

Having had to sit out the last two editions of the IPL due to injuries, Karnataka’s Prasidh Krishna has been in great form ahead of this year’s marquee T20 tournament. The 28-year-old fast bowler is coming on the back of a successful tour of Australia—albeit in terms of personal milestones. He picked up six wickets in his one and only Test Down Under in Sydney and looked in great rhythm. 

Only available for Karnataka’s knockout matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), Krishna picked up seven wickets in just three games and helped his stateside lift the trophy. With the Titans likely to go with one of Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee, Krishna is likely to act as the third seamer alongside Mohammed Siraj. 

Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore

The Titans are heading into the 2025 season with seven spinners, if one counts Glenn Philips and his canny off-breaks. Last season, Sai Kishore, the 28-year-old left-arm spinner from Tamil Nadu, played only five games for the Titans. However, with a bigger spin contingent this time round, one can expect the GT to dish out slow and turning wickets. 

Ahead of IPL 2025, Sai Kishore has been in decent form. He picked up nine wickets in the group stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), going at 7.52 runs per over. Whenever the pitches offered some assistance, Sai Kishore was hard to go after. In the recently-concluded VHT, he picked up just seven wickets, though the batters did find it difficult to score freely off him.

Considering the GT composition, Sai Kishore is likely to have a straight 1v1 fight against Nishant Sindhu for a spot in the playing XI, but given his experience and know-how, the management might just side with Sai Kishore to start the season. 

Washington Sundar

Here’s another spin-bowling all-rounder with a point to prove. Tamil Nadu’s Washington Sundar played just two IPL games last season, both as an Impact Sub. Having featured for Team India in both red- and white-ball cricket since last season’s IPL, the 25-year-old all-rounder’s stock has risen tremendously in recent months. Moreover, his ability to bowl both with the new ball and during the middle overs as well as his batting ability make him a valuable asset. 

Sundar had an excellent series against New Zealand and played some crucial innings lower down the order in Australia. If the conditions are conducive of spin bowling, the trio of Sundar, Rashid Khan, and Sai Kishore will become even more potent, as all three of them keep things tight and rarely bowl loose deliveries. 

Shahrukh Khan

The Titans have shown a lot of faith by retaining someone who has not crossed the 200-run mark in any of his four IPL campaigns so far. Despite showing glimpses of what he’s capable of, the 29-year-old Tamil Nadu cricketer had another disappointing campaign last year. Apart from his knocks of 58 (30) and 37 (24), both of which came against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Shahrukh Khan had scores of 14, 0, 8, 8, and 2 against the other teams. 

There could be some merit to the Titans’ logic, considering Khan has already shown glimpses of his batting might in other domestic competitions. In last year’s Tamil Nadu Premier League, Khan scored 225 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 183. The recently-concluded SMAT proved to be a struggle for him as he scored just 137 runs in six games. However, Khan exhibited his explosive best in the one and only VHT match he played in, scoring an unbeaten 85-ball 132 against Uttar Pradesh.

Mahipal Lomror

Mahipal Lomror has been in great form recently. The 25-year-old batter from Rajasthan has been consistently scoring runs both in red- and white-ball cricket and will definitely have a part to play for the Titans this upcoming IPL season. Having already played for both the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Lomror—coming down the order—has struggled for consistency with limited opportunities. 

With their top-heavy approach, the GT will need a dependable middle order. The likes of Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia—both retained—haven’t lived up to their end of the bargain in recent seasons. Lomror, for that matter, has scored 438 runs in the recently concluded VHT and has 573 runs in just seven innings in the Ranji Trophy. Thus, to bed in someone like him either as a starter or an Impact Sub will be crucial for the Titans, especially given his recent form.