The next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to start from March 28, 2026. This year, all eyes will be on Gujarat Titans skipper, Shubman Gill. He returns to the action after missing out on the ICC T20 World Cup.
Cheteswar Pujara, a former India Test cricketer, believes that this setback for Shubman Gill could fuel him to deliver a standout performance this season.
Pujara appeared on JioHotstar as an expert and backed Gill to perform well this season. He called Gill a “quality player suited for all three formats” and suggested that this breakout season could ultimately open the doors for the India T20I team.
According to Pujara, “The T20 World Cup squad snub will definitely fire up Shubman Gill. He is a quality player suited for all three formats. If he has a good IPL 2026 season, he will surely put his name in India’s T20I squad. He is leading the Test squad and is also the ODI captain. He is a multi-format player. If he has a good season, he will be back in the scheme of things for the Indian team.”
Pujara also said that Gill will inevitably feel the weight of missing the T20 World Cup. However, Pujara stated that IPL gives Gill a chance to prove himself in the shortest format of the game. Pujara also highlighted that Gill has to “accelerate a little more” in this format and try to get to a 150-160 strike rate range.
Pujara said, “There will be some pressure on him because he has not been part of the India squad in the shortest format. But at the same time, it is a great opportunity for him to carry on batting the way he has. He needs to try to accelerate a little more because that is something he has been working on. This IPL season is the perfect one for him to show he can bat at a strike rate of 150 to 160.”
The former Indian cricketer also discussed the prospects of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026. He believes that GT is a strong contender for the title this year. Great top-order batters and overall consistency from the Gujarat team are the reasons for this. He also underlined the importance of the roles all-rounders play in T20 games. GT has Jason Holder in its ranks, who offers balance with both bat and ball.
“GT looks like a title favourite this season. If you look at their squad, the top order of Captain Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler is incredible. You cannot have a better top order than them. These three have scored runs with amazing consistency. That is their main strength,” Pujara added.
In this first phase of IPL 2026, the Gujarat Titans will start their campaign on March 31 against the Punjab Kings at Mullanpur.
