3 GT players who might be benched throughout IPL 2025 ft. Sherfane Rutherford

Following a disappointing season in 2024 in which they missed out on the playoffs for the first time, the Gujarat Titans (GT) have done well ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 2023 champions have assembled a strong squad that features a host of bowling options and world-class top-order batters.

There are still a few questions when it comes to their ideal combination, but given the star power in their ranks, the Titans are likely to pick from a core group of 15-18 players. And the others, as talented as they may be, might not get too many opportunities, especially if the franchise start winning matches.

GT's squad for IPL 2025: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Sherfane Rutherford, Jos Buttler, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Rashid Khan, Washington Sundar, M Shahrukh Khan, Mahipal Lomror, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips, Karim Janat, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gerald Coetzee, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya.

On that note, here are three GT players who might be benched throughout IPL 2025.

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#3 Sherfane Rutherford

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A few months ago, it seemed like Sherfane Rutherford was a favorite to start in the GT middle order ahead of Glenn Phillips. But while the Kiwi has been in sensational form in all three departments in recent months, Rutherford has been a shadow of his destructive best.

The West Indian struggled to put bat to ball during the Big Bash League while playing for the Sydney Thunder and had an underwhelming campaign in the ILT20 as well. Given the fact that GT already have a couple of left-handers in the middle order, they might rely on Phillips to do the job while contributing with the ball and in the field as well.

This is a tricky call, since on ability Rutherford has every chance of being picked ahead of Phillips. But his recent form has been far from encouraging, and it would be strange if Gujarat made him the first choice.

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#2 Nishant Sindhu

England v India: Final - ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup West Indies 2022 - Source: Getty

GT have a host of left-arm spinners who can bat, including R Sai Kishore, Mahipal Lomror, Manav Suthar and Nishant Sindhu. Unfortunately, Sindhu might be the last one in the pecking order despite the fact that he is the most all-round option of the quartet.

Sai Kishore has more experience than the others and has done well for the franchise in the past, while Suthar's fundamentals seem strong. Lomror, meanwhile, is the best batter in the lot and is likely to be picked in the playing XI or XII.

Sindhu's exact role in T20s is yet to be ascertained, and although he's been a regular feature in the IPL, his chances might take a while longer to come.

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#1 Karim Janat

Afghanistan v Australia: Super Eight - ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup West Indies & USA 2024 - Source: Getty

Needing a fast-bowling all-rounder towards the end of the auction, GT snapped up Karim Janat. The Afghanistan man hasn't been a regular even in the national setup, and it's doubtful whether his game is at the standard required by the IPL.

Janat, as a result, could warm the bench during IPL 2025. Gujarat have three quality pace options in Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, while an army of domestic and overseas backup names are present on the bench. There's no real need for batting depth either, with most of the spinners having the ability to wield the willow.