Gujarat Titans poised for calm auction, says Ashwin
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the Gujarat Titans are entering the IPL 2026 mini-auction in a position of considerable strength. With only five slots to fill and a remaining purse of ₹12.9 crore (approx. US$1.5 million), Ashwin feels the franchise has done most of its heavy lifting during the retention window — enough to approach the auction in cruise control.
“Why did GT release Rutherford? Because they believe that Washington Sundar can do that job. Their top three are solid on that ground. Sai and Gill’s 500 500 runs are guaranteed. If Rashid Khan has a better season, they are a finals team,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The Titans traded Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians for ₹2.6 crore (approx. US$293.5K), alongside releasing backup players like Mahipal Lomror, Dasun Shanaka and Gerald Coetzee. According to Ashwin, their auction strategy is relaxed — even casual.
“They can go to the auction casually with pakodas, can sit there and eat and bring back some players,” he said.
SRH’s bowling and captaincy strategy under scrutiny
While Gujarat appear settled, Ashwin reserved strong criticism for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s auction moves. The franchise released experienced pacer Mohammad Shami, who was snapped up by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹10 crore (approx. US$1.1 million), despite rediscovering form for Bengal in domestic cricket.
“There wasn’t much sense behind the idea of releasing Klaasen, because why would you leave him? SRH’s bowling is concerning. I would have thought once or twice more before releasing Shami,” Ashwin remarked.
Pat Cummins’ lingering injury, which ruled him out of the Ashes opener and continues to pose workload concerns ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, has only deepened questions around SRH’s leadership.
“Maybe Bharat Arun told Sanjiv Goenka to get Shami and I will get the best out of him. Cummins’ injury is a concern; they might look towards Travis Head as captain,” Ashwin added.
As auction day nears, Ashwin’s analysis underscores the contrasting fortunes of two former champions — Gujarat confidently fine-tuning, while Sunrisers may be scrambling to cover unexpected gaps.
