Gujarat Titans are likely to retain skipper Shubman Gill, star spinner Rashid Khan, young opener Sai Sudharsan and explosive hitters Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, reported ESPNCricinfo.
These retentions will leave the 2022 champions with one right-to-match (RTM) card option at the upcoming mega auction.
With the amount given to each player still unknown, GT will have around Rs 51 crores deducted from their overall purse of Rs 120 crores for retaining three international players and two uncapped players. If they pay more than Rs 51 crores for these retentions, a higher amount will be deducted from the purse.
Thursday, October 31 is the deadline by which all the franchises are supposed to submit the list of their retained players ahead of the mega auction. Each team can retain six players, out of which a maximum of five can be capped and two uncapped. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.
The auction purse for the franchises has been set at Rs 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs which will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026) and Rs. 157 Crs (2027). A match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of IPL. Each
Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of Rs 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount.
The IPL's governing body has set minimum deductions from the purse for each player retained, with Rs 18 crores for the first player, Rs 14 crores for the second, Rs 11 crores for the third, Rs 18 crores for the fourth, Rs 14 crores for the fifth and Rs 4 crores for an uncapped player. Franchises are free to give their players more or less of these amounts to the players retained by them.
Gill and Rashid were picked by GT before the auction in 2022, which was the franchise's debut season. While Rashid was bought for Rs 15 crores, Gill got Rs eight crores. Gill was given the GT captaincy for the 2024 season after their title-winning captain Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians (MI).
Both players have been instrumental to GT's success, with Gill scoring 1,799 runs in 45 matches at an average of 44.98, with four centuries and 10 fifties. He was the 'Player of the Tournament' in the 2023 season with 890 runs in 17 matches with three centuries and four fifties.
Rashid has taken 56 wickets at an average of 23.93, with best figures of 4/24 in 56 matches and has also played some crucial knocks with the bat.
23-year-old Sudharsan has scored 1,034 runs in 25 matches at an average of 47.00 ever since joining the team for 2022 season for Rs 20 lakhs. He has scored a century and scored six fifties. Last season, he scored 527 runs in 12 matches at an average of 47.90, with a century and two fifties. He was the sixth-highest run-getter that season.
Shahrukh and Tewatia are uncapped all-rounders. Tewatia, known for his calm head and finishing abilities, was bought for Rs nine crores ahead of 2022 season. In 45 matches for the team, he has scored 492 runs at an average of 27.33, with a strike rate of 147.75 and best score of 43*.
Shahrukh, one of the strongest domestic cricket hitters and a useful all-rounder, was bought by franchise for Rs 7.4 crores ahead of 2024 auction. In seven matches in 2024 season, he scored 127 runs at an average of 18.14 at a strike rate of over 169, with one half-century.
In the 2024 season, GT experienced a huge dip after finishing champions in 2022 and as runners-up in 2023. They won five matches and lost seven, getting only 12 points to finish at eighth spot.
