Summary of this article
GT skipper Shubman Gill ruled out of the match against RR due to muscle cramps
Rashid Khan will captain GT today in Gill's absence
GT are heading into the match after losing their first match against PBKS
Gujarat Titans' skipper suffered a huge blow ahead of the clash against Rajasthan Royals as their skipper and premier batter, Shubman Gill, was ruled out of the match due to an old neck injury that resurfaced again.
Gill sustained the neck injury against South Africa last year in November.
GT are entering into the match after losing their first match to Punjab Kings and would be desperate to shift the momentum in their favour by winning the match, which is why losing their captain ahead of an important clash will only add to their troubles.
Rashid Khan has been named as the stand-in captain for the Gujarat Giants in their first home match at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium.
Rajasthan Royals possess a really strong batting line-up starting with the destructive opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Contrary to the trend, RR have opted to bat first against GT on a seemingly good batting track.
GT will need their other star batters like Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan will have to step up and play big knocks to lessen the impact of Gill's absence in the batting front.
It was a tough day in the IPL today in terms of captains' fitness as Mumbai Indian's captain Hardik Pandya had to sit out against the Delhi Capitals earlier today as he got under the weather before the match, and in the evening Gill was ousted due to a recurring fitness issue.
Why Shubman Gill's Absence Is A Big Loss For GT?
Shubman Gill has been GT's mainstay with the bat in the last few years. His love affair with the franchise began in 2023, when he amassed 890 runs in the season in 17 matches with a strike rate of 157 and an average of 59.33.
After a subdued 2024 season (426), Gill again clobbered runs for fun in 2025 and churned out a 650-run season. His stats for GT speak of his impact on the team and how it may have sealed their fate against an in-form RR in their second match of the season as they already looked a bit short on the batting front in their opening match.
Why is Shubman Gill not playing today against Rajathan Royals?
Shubman Gill is not playing against Rajasthan Royals due to a recurring neck injury.
Who is captaining GT in Shubman Gill's absence?
Rashid Khan is the stand-in captain for GT in Gill's absence.
