The Gujarat Titans (GT) have sparked speculation with their intriguing New Year’s tweet, suggesting a potential captaincy change ahead of the IPL 2025 season. The franchise posted an image of Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan gazing at a blank slate, accompanied by the caption, “A clean slate. A new story.”
This cryptic message has led fans and analysts to speculate that Rashid might take over the captaincy from Shubman Gill. Rashid Khan has been a cornerstone of GT’s success since joining the team in 2022. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, the Titans retained him for INR 18 crore, making him their highest-paid player.
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Known for his match-winning abilities and vast T20 experience, Rashid brings proven leadership credentials, having captained Afghanistan internationally and led GT in two IPL games. Reflecting on his captaincy debut against CSK in 2022, Rashid had shared on the Gujarat Titans podcast, “It was my first match as IPL captain, during Ramadan. I got a message from Ashish Nehra saying, ‘Khan sahab, get ready. Hardik might not play.’ It was a dream moment, filled with excitement and pressure.”
A clean slate. A new story. ✨#AavaDe pic.twitter.com/fNt319mJlP
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) January 1, 2025
Gill, retained for INR 16.5 crore, assumed the captaincy in 2024 after Hardik Pandya’s departure to Mumbai Indians. Despite his stellar personal performances, his captaincy tenure was disappointing, with GT finishing eighth in the standings—far removed from their title-winning debut season in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023 under Pandya.
The team’s struggles under Gill have raised concerns about his leadership suitability. GT’s auction strategy for 2025 showcased their ambition. They secured star batter Jos Buttler for INR 15.75 crore, strengthening their top order.
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Emerging talents like Nishant Sindhu and Kumar Kushagra were added to fortify the middle order, while Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Washington Sundar bolstered the bowling unit. With a revamped squad and potential leadership shake-up, the Titans aim to reclaim their dominance in the upcoming season.
