It has been a challenging week for Indian cricketer Shubman Gill. After losing his spot in the playing XI for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, speculation now suggests that Gill may no longer captain the Gujarat Titans in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The rumours were sparked by a cryptic social media post from the Titans.
In December 2023, Gujarat Titans named Gill as captain after India all-rounder Hardik Pandya made a surprising return to the Mumbai Indians. Gill’s captaincy was seen as a chance to showcase his leadership potential, positioning him as a future contender to lead the Indian national team. However, under his leadership, the Titans endured a disappointing 2024 season, finishing eighth on the table with just five wins in 14 matches.
On Wednesday, the Gujarat Titans posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) that read, “A clean slate. A new story.” Accompanying the post was an image of Rashid Khan staring at a blank slate, leading to widespread speculation about a potential captaincy change.
Rashid Khan, one of the world’s premier T20 players, has limited IPL captaincy experience, having led Gujarat Titans in two matches. The first was a victory over Chennai Super Kings in 2022, while the second, in 2023, was a memorable loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, where Rinku Singh’s last-over heroics overshadowed the game.
Though his IPL captaincy record is modest, Rashid has extensive experience leading T20 sides. He has captained 67 T20 matches across six teams, including the Afghanistan national team, winning 34 of those games. Rashid has also captained Afghanistan in ODI and Test formats, underscoring his credentials as a seasoned leader.
If Gujarat Titans do hand the captaincy reins to Rashid for the 2025 IPL season, they will benefit from his vast leadership experience and his ability to inspire his team in high-pressure situations.
Also Read: Gujarat CID to Question IPL Cricketers in Multi-Crore BZ Scam
