Gujarat Titans prioritize left-arm spinners Sai Kishore and Manav Suthar for IPL 2025. Parthiv Patel shares insights into the team’s spin and pace strategies.
Gujarat Titans, IPL 2022 champions, are preparing for IPL 2025 with a balanced squad.
Assistant coach Parthiv Patel emphasized left-arm spinners R Sai Kishore and Manav Suthar’s role.
Both were retained for Rs 1.05 crore to complement Rashid Khan in Gujarat’s spin-heavy strategy.
Following the recent mega auction for the 2025 IPL season, assistant coach Parthiv Patel spoke about the reasoning behind Gujarat Titans, the 2022 edition champions, choosing to sign four left-arm spinners.
He stated they are eyeing R Sai Kishore and Manav Suthar as their primary spin bowling options to complement Rashid Khan.
“Actually, Manav Suthar and R Sai Kishore were the two left-arm spinners we were looking at having. If you look at Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu, both of them are very good, and they are also primarily batters who can hold their own against the opposition.
“So we are looking at them as all-rounders who are spinners. With Sai Kishore and Manav Suthar, they are our actual main left-arm spinners. Both of them were part of Gujarat Titans last year, so we’re happy that we brought them back,” said Parthiv to IANS in a virtual press conference from Jeddah on Monday.
Apart from these, Gujarat Titans acquired versatile players like Mahipal Lomror and Nishant Sindhu, known for their spin and batting. These additions highlight the franchise’s focus on all-round talent.
Spin-Focused Strategy
Parthiv Patel revealed that Gujarat Titans prioritized left-arm spinners to add variety to their bowling attack.
Sai Kishore and Manav Suthar’s consistent performances have earned them main spinner roles.
“If you look at our pace attack now, they all are great who can hit the deck. That’s exactly what our plan was. So we’re quite happy with the outcome. Coming back to Washington, we were expecting him to go much higher than the price which we got. But then we wouldn’t have got that quality off-spinner in this case. So we’re quite happy that Washington is in our team.”
The team also secured all-rounders Lomror and Sindhu, enhancing depth and flexibility.
Moreover, GT’s acquisition of off-spinners like Washington Sundar provides options for varying conditions. Parthiv praised Sundar as a steal at INR 3.2 crore, boosting the team’s all-round capabilities.
WTC 2025 Final Qualification Scenarios After India’s Daunting Win Over Australia At Perth
Pace Bowling Depth and Jos Buttler’s Signing
Gujarat Titans also invested in experienced pacers, including Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj, to strengthen their bowling lineup.
Parthiv highlighted Ishant’s experience, describing him as a guiding force for younger bowlers.
“The main thing is you don’t get lots of experience that easily. Plus, Ishant Sharma bowled well in the IPL last year, and you always want an experienced bowler. He’s bowled so well for India and has been playing for a long time. So, he can be useful for other players as well.”
The marquee signing of England’s Jos Buttler was another highlight, with Parthiv commending his leadership and batting versatility.
“With someone like Jos Buttler, we know what kind of skill he possesses. Plus, we always needed someone at the top of the batting order like him, who also leads his country and is an experienced wicketkeeper.”
Buttler, known for his explosive starts, is expected to anchor the batting lineup effectively.
“So, we thought that Jos Buttler was the best player who can fill that role. So, he can open the batting, and bat at three or four. Plus, he’s had captaincy success, as a T20 World Cup winning captain, so there are a lot of qualities when you look at Jos Buttler.”
Since his return to the England T20I team on a tour of the West Indies, Buttler didn’t take up wicket-keeping duties, owing to returning from a calf injury. If Buttler can’t keep wickets in IPL 2025, GT has the services of uncapped keepers Anuj Rawat and Kumar Kushagra.
Parthiv concluded, “But when you are in the back end of the auction, teams try and fill in their slots which are remaining. That’s what we were trying to do. So, it was not a surprise that we were pushed hard. But we wanted a left-handed middle-order backer who can fit the right power, and I’m really happy with Rutherford,” concluded Parthiv.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram
