Shubman Gill in frame. (ANI)
IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill was a surprise exclusion from the squad in their match against the Gujarat Titans on Saturday. GT’s stand-in skipper, Rashid Khan, informed of a muscle spasm at the toss; however, the uncertainty around Gill’s absence remained among fans and experts alike. As the 2022 IPL champions lost their second successive match, Gill was dearly missed as he is one of the mainstays in the batting order for the franchise. Titans, who claimed to be close to chasing 211, fell short by 6 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
GT will seek to regroup itself ahead of their next game against the Delhi Capitals on April 8.
Gujarat Titans’ assistant coach Parthiv Patel confirmed in the post-match PC that Gill is expected to make a quick return but did not share any timeline.
“Obviously, he had a neck sprain (during the India vs South Africa Test in November 2025), and he had a spasm a couple of days back. We are hoping he’s fit for the upcoming game. It doesn’t look that serious. Injury management is not my forte, but I can definitely tell you that he should be fine,” Parthiv Patel said.
Previously, Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden praised captain Shubman Gill for his development as a batsman and leader, stating that the Indian star’s clear thinking and contemporary confidence have influenced his progress at the top level.
“Yeah, see, Shubman is a very clear thinker of the game, and that shows he understands cricket very well, especially at the highest level and in Test cricket,” Hayden said.
“He brings a lot of confidence. If you like, he brings a bit of swagger of the modern generation, which I really enjoy-that feeling that he’s in control and shaping his own destiny.
“But any side he plays for, he very unselfishly says-and I’ve watched him across many press conferences like this-that it’s very team-oriented,” the former opener said on Monday.
After succumbing to their second defeat in the tournament, the Gujarat Titans stand at the seventh spot in the points table. Their net run-rate is -0.424 because of back-to-back close finishes in both games.
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