Gujarat Titans dropped Washington Sundar to the bench again on Tuesday for their crunch clash against the Mumbai Indians. Sundar has been in and out of the side and was sidelined with captain Shubman Gill preferring Arshad Khan for the MI vs GT game. Kagiso Rabada was also not part of the squad, despite returning to India after a drug-enforced absence.
Speaking at the toss, Shubman Gill said, “We have one change. Arshad comes back for Sundar. Rabada is back (in the squad), but he will need a few practice sessions and a few games to get back in his groove. We are fortunate that we can use Kishore when needed. We have 6-7 bowling options.”
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Washington Sundar is among the substitutes and could still come into the game while the Gujarat Titans bat second. However, Sherfane Rutherford could also be in line to be the impact substitute.
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Sundar dropped again
Washington Sundar’s stop-start IPL career continues well into IPL 2025. The all-rounder was not in the scheme of things when the tournament started, but found a way into the XI with a career-best 49 at No.4. However, Sundar’s returns have since dwindled. Overall, the Tamil Nadu star has a total of 85 runs in 5 games, striking at 151.79. With the ball in hand, he has picked up only 2 wickets, at an economy of 10.58.
With Sai Kishore not getting a bowl, Sundar became an expendable option for the Gujarat Titans. Sherfane Rutherford meanwhile, offers a different dynamic, striking at 155.81. The West Indian has 201 runs in 7 innings this season and is likely to be GT’s choice of impact substitue.
Kagiso Rabada not ready yet
Kagiso Rabada has been absent since featuring in the first 2 games of IPL 2025. The South African since returned home, which was later revealed to be a drug-induced absence. He has since re-joined the GT set up, but is not featuring in the MI vs GT game. Gill revealed that Rabada needed a few more sessions to get back into his groove. In his absence, Gerald Coetzee continues to feature.
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