Virat Kohli was caught at his wits’ end when an unexpected figure sought his counsel during IPL 2022. Narrating the incident on Star Sports, the Royal Challengers Bangalore star exclaimed, “Jos Buttler came to me after the Rajasthan Royals match and said I want to ask you something and I told him that you’re wearing the Orange Cap what do you want to ask me, I am not able to make runs and we had a laugh about it.”
It was a weird dynamic indeed, notwithstanding Kohli’s global aura as three figures had eluded him in competitive cricket since late 2019. As it turned out, his steep downfall had put things into perspective for Buttler. It was not a case of gaining sadistic pleasure from the misery of an adversary, the rut had actually humanized in his eyes an absolute freak.
Such is the wheel of time that now the roles have reversed. Kohli hailed the rubber against South Africa in December 2025 the ‘most satisfying series’ after curating two hundreds and an unbeaten fifty. Buttler, on the other hand, is enduring probably the roughest patch of his career. 87 runs in 8 T20 World Cup innings do not bode well with a showman of his caliber. Removed from the national sentiment, IPL brings an opportunity to rediscover his mojo and become the Buttler whose shoulder jiggle was an ominous precursor to a leather hunt.
The season gone by had seen him in that avatar – 538 runs in 14 matches, including a top score of 97*, at an average of 59.78 and a strike rate of 163. It is imperative for Gujarat Titans that he clicks again, for Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler combined to amass 1967 runs – a whopping 72.54% of their total runs in IPL 2025.
Towards the end of the league stage, they were holding the worst average of any middle-order. The departure of Sherfane Rutherford isn’t exactly good news in that regard, but all the hopes are now pinned on the overseas pair of Glenn Phillips and Tom Banton. Built like an ox, the multi-dimensional cricketer from New Zealand has a brand new trick up his sleeve. Two days before the New Year, at the Super Smash T20s, he took strike the wrong way around and launched the ball for six over midwicket, err scratch that, covers. Meanwhile, going down on one knee and using those hockey-trained wrists to access square leg is Banton’s signature move, but with oppositions doing the homework a range expansion was the need of the hour. Axar Patel got a glimpse of it in the recent semi-final. ‘’He’s a powerful player, he’s got long levers, he can hit the ball out of the ground,’’ Harry Brook egged on his wiry mate.
Much like the defending champions, Gujarat Titans have retained their core in its entirety. They made their IPL debut in 2022 and won the inaugural campaign, proceeding to qualify for the playoffs in each edition since. Why fix something which isn’t broken? Jason Holder was the recipient of 7 crores from the 12.9 in their purse, reaffirming the value of pace bowling all-rounders if Cameron Green’s acquisition hadn’t already proved that utility cricketers are the hottest commodity in the IPL market. In the last 19 months, Holder has collected T20 caps like Pokemon cards, 92 of them to be precise, 31 for West Indies and the rest while globe-trotting. He was the best bowler in the format in 2025, which is why Gujarat Titans had their sights set on the Caribbean pro who also boasts of the match awareness to recalibrate his batting tempo. ‘’We are really happy with his experience and leadership skills. He is a great addition,” head coach Ashish Nehra said.
Luke Wood, a left-arm quick with the priceless ability to swing the ball back into right-handers, lends much-needed variety to an attack featuring internationals Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, PowerPlay rock Mohammad Siraj and hit-the-deck option Prasidh Krishna. While the pace battery is ready to unleash carnage, the same cannot be said about their spin attack unless Rashid Khan gets back into the groove. His returns have nosedived since 2023, rendering Gujarat Titans’ overseas bowlers the least effective among all teams last season in terms of average and strike rate.
However, they were superb at not conceding an inch to the tweakers, losing only 20 wickets to spin, the second fewest in the league even as their strike rate hovered above 150. With the exuberant younger crop – Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Nishant Sindhu, Mohammed Arshad Khan – blending in with the maturity of Washington Sundar there seems to be a conscious effort to alleviate the stress on the guns upfront.
Titans' day out at Gujaratno Gadh 💙 pic.twitter.com/m46UJFSnRQ
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) March 26, 2026
Kushagra is the wunderkind to watch out for. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he struck at over 160 while averaging 60. Whether the keeper-bat from Jharkhand is afforded a fair shot is a valid question in a settled setup, but if the middle order continues to drift, the cracks can be papered over by his potency. After all, Delhi Capitals secured his services with a jumbo ₹7.2 crore deal in 2024. Hardik Pandya and David Miller used to provide the finishing kicks, but neither is in Gujarat Titans currently, which nudges skipper Gill into the spotlight as an IPL trophy is the next frontier to be conquered by the BCCI Men’s International Cricketer of the Year. Left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad, he certainly has a point to prove in a format where his place is no longer undisputed.
As far as selection is concerned, the burning question is will Jayant Yadav get a break from hydration duties. He hasn’t been a regular in white-ball assignments since 2023-24, when Haryana lifted the Vijay Hazare Trophy as the management has preferred spin all-rounders Nishant and Rahul Tewatia over the journeyman. Will the trend remain so at Gujarat Titans as they eye an encore of their maiden tryst with the planet’s biggest T20 blockbuster?
