IPL 2025: Rashid Khan likely to replace Shubman Gill as Gujarat Titans skipper

The Gujarat Titans (GT) have created an interest with their New Year’s tweet hinting at a potential captaincy change ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. 

In a post on their social media, the Titans shared an image of Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan staring at a blank slate, as the caption read, “A clean slate. A new story.” This post has led to speculations that Rashid is set to replace Shubman Gill as the team’s captain. 

The leg spinner has been one of GT's most valuable assets since joining the franchise in 2022. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, GT retained Rashid for INR 18 crore, making him their highest-paid player. As one of the world’s leading T20 players and a match-winner, Rashid brings immense experience and leadership qualities. He has previously captained Afghanistan in international cricket and has also had the pleasure of leading GT twice. His captaincy debut in IPL came against CSK in the 2022 season.

"That was a special match as it was my first match as captain in IPL, and that too during Ramadan. I woke up at 3 am for sehri. I got a message from Ashish Nehra, saying 'Khan sahab get ready. Hardik might not play as he is not well. There was excitement and pressure. It was a dream," Rashid had earlier said on the Gujarat Titans podcast.

Also Read: GT Team 2025 Player List: Complete Gujarat Titans (GT) Squad and Players List for IPL 2025

Under Shubman Gill's leadership GT finished eighth in IPL 2024

On the other hand, Gill, who was retained for INR 16.5 crore, took over the captaincy in 2024 following Hardik Pandya's departure to Mumbai Indians. Gill’s tenure as skipper in 2024 was underwhelming as the Titans finished eighth in the table, managing only five wins in 14 games in stark contrast to their championship-winning debut season in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023 under Pandya. While Gill’s performances have been brilliant, the team’s overall decline in form has raised questions about his leadership capabilities.

The Titans made bold acquisitions during the IPL 2025 auction to bolster their squad. Jos Buttler’s acquisition for INR 15.75 crore added firepower to their batting lineup, while young talents like Nishant Sindhu and Kumar Kushagra were brought in to strengthen the middle order. On the bowling front, GT secured top pacers such as Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, alongside all-rounder Washington Sundar.