Washington Sundar set for a bigger role as Gujarat Titans firm up roadmap for IPL 2026

Washington Sundar is in line for a bigger role after GT rejected CSK’s trade offer. The 26-year-old’s rise across formats has impressed the management and the trade of West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford further explains that. Gujarat Titans are set for a quiet IPL 2026 auction, with captain Shubman Gill and coach Ashish Nehra keen to retain their core.

Washington Sundar of Gujrat Titans during the 2025 Eliminator IPL Finals match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians at New PCA Stadium on May 30, 2025, in Chandigarh, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans (GT) are likely to be one of the least active franchises in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, scheduled for next month in Abu Dhabi, UAE.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that captain Gill and head coach Ashish Nehra have decided that they want their core intact for IPL 2026. The only major development at GT is that the team management has decided to give all-rounder Washington Sundar a bigger role, starting next season, and it could well see him regularly bat at No.4.

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The 26-year-old was roped in by GT for Rs 3.2 crore but managed to play only six matches. The ‘Impact Player’ rule has hampered Washington’s growth in the past three seasons, with opportunities few and far between. He had played only nine games for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) across IPL 2023 and 2024.

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Washington Sundar’s stocks are at an all-time high right now and he is among the few Indian cricketers who can be picked in all three formats purely on the basis of either batting or bowling. Recently, in the white-ball series in Australia, he featured in all the ODIs and provided crucial breakthroughs. But it was his T20I batting in the third match at Hobart, where the southpaw smoked an unbeaten 49 off 23 balls, which caught everyone by surprise. The Indian team management has already identified him as one of the few players being considered as an automatic pick in all three formats. Recognising his potential, GT acted promptly by declining Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) request for a Washington Sundar trade, including an all-cash offer. With Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, GT’s top three is settled and Sundar could well solve the No. 4 problem.

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With Rutherford already traded, GT are going to look for some middle-order options and a quick at the mini-auction. With the frontline seamers expected to be retained, a seamer - either Indian or overseas - is on their wishlist. There will be a handful of releases and they will feature the uncapped Indian players.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that Glenn Phillips continues to be in their mix and they have a role identified for the Kiwi. Phillips was signed by the Titans for Rs 2 crore but was ruled out of the season due to a groin injury he sustained as a substitute fielder against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 6, 2025.

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