GT Without Buttler In IPL 2026: How Gujarat Titans Are Coping
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Quick clarification before we start. Jos Buttler is at Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 — he moved there in the auction after leaving his previous franchise. The angle of this piece isn't "GT without Buttler" as a team that lost him. It's the opposite: GT before Buttler was one kind of Powerplay team, GT with Buttler is another kind of Powerplay team, and how quickly they've adjusted around him has been one of the quieter tactical wins of IPL 2026. GT's climb is also visible on the IPL 2026 points table.
Let's walk through what's actually happening at the top of the GT order — and how it stacks up in the latest IPL 2026 power rankings.
The Powerplay problem GT didn't solve last year
GT's entire identity under Shubman Gill's captaincy has been about balance — a tall No. 3 batting captain, a strong middle order, a finisher or two, and economical seam bowling. What that formula never quite cracked was dominance in the Powerplay.
In IPL 2024 and 2025, GT's Powerplay scoring rate sat below the league average. They were a team that built, not a team that blew you away. Against good bowling attacks in tight chases, that cost them matches. Coaching staff flagged it in the post-season review, and the 2026 auction brief was explicit: buy a Powerplay force-multiplier.
Buttler, after his release from his previous franchise, was the answer the market agreed on.
What Buttler gives GT
Three things, specifically.
A genuine over-one presence. Buttler has always been able to change the first six overs of a T20 game on his own. Three good overs in the Powerplay against him and you're chasing 90. Three bad ones and you're chasing 20-for-2.
A different risk calculus for Gill. With Buttler taking on the Powerplay, Gill can stay in captain-build-the-innings mode rather than having to push. Gill's average is higher when he's the anchor next to an aggressive opener — a pattern going back to his early career with David Miller and with previous GT partners.
A senior English voice. Harry Brook-era England tactics — match-ups, strike rotation, counter-intuitive field placements — are something Buttler carries into the dressing room. Ashish Nehra, GT's coach, has said publicly that Buttler has added a dimension to their T20 thinking.
The opening order in practice
GT have, so far, opened with Buttler and Gill — with Gill dropping to No. 3 in a few matches where they've wanted to stabilise and push someone else up. The partnership has clicked fast. Buttler has been the aggressor, Gill the rotator. Quick ball-by-ball numbers are available on the iplt20.com match centre and the full scorecards are on ESPNcricinfo.
Sai Sudharsan, who has looked a genuine top-three batter across IPL 2024 and 2025, has slid to No. 3 or 4 depending on the matchup, and that flexibility has been part of GT's Powerplay success. Rashid Khan is, as ever, the bowling match-winner.
How the Powerplay has played out
GT's Powerplay scoring rate is noticeably up versus last year. Not in a spectacular, 220-every-game way — that's not Gill's template — but in a "no Powerplay disaster" way. GT have avoided the 35-for-3 starts that cost them chases last season. Against slower attacks they've comfortably gone past 55 in the first six. Against strong pace attacks they've held their wickets.
That's the quiet tactical win. Buttler isn't hitting every ball out of the ground — he doesn't need to. The mere threat of him doing it changes how bowling captains set their Powerplay fields. Two men out on the leg side for Buttler opens space square of the wicket for Gill. That chain reaction is what buys GT the easier starts.
What the rest of the side looks like
GT's middle order in 2026 has stability rather than fireworks. Sudharsan at three, a mix of overseas options at four, and a finisher role that rotates between a hitter and an all-rounder depending on the opposition. Rashid Khan in the middle overs remains the difference-maker with the ball. The seam attack is steady rather than explosive — which is part of why GT still occasionally lose tight games at the death.
Their captaincy under Gill continues to look calm and low-drama. They aren't the team that wins you back with a sudden comeback over; they're the team that builds a lead so steadily that by the 18th over there isn't much to come back from.
Where GT could still come unstuck
Two risks.
Overseas balance. With Buttler in the XI, GT have one fewer slot for overseas pace or all-rounder options. Against squads like PBKS — with Maxwell at No. 4 and Chahal in the middle overs — the GT middle and death can look thinner. We break the PBKS reshape down in the IPL 2026 team hubs on cricjosh.in.
Buttler's ceiling game. When Buttler goes big, GT dominate. When he goes for 20 off 18, GT still have to work harder than teams with two Powerplay aggressors. Sudharsan has been excellent but he's not a second Powerplay finisher. One bad Buttler night and GT's top-order output has a floor, not a ceiling.
What the rest of the season looks like
GT are well-placed heading into the second half of IPL 2026. The Buttler-Gill combination has settled faster than many expected, the Rashid Khan factor is still there, and their middle order has found a rhythm.
The real test will come in late April and early May, when pitches slow further and Powerplay scoring becomes harder for everyone. If GT's Powerplay strategy — Buttler aggression, Gill rotation, Sudharsan follow-up — can still post 50+ on slow pitches, they're a playoff side. If it can't, the squad's thin spots at the death become a bigger deal.
Cricbuzz's team analysis pages have a useful GT squad breakdown on cricbuzz.com for fans who want the deeper numbers.
FAQ
Is Jos Buttler at Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026?
Yes. Buttler moved to GT in the 2026 auction after being released by his previous franchise. He's been opening the batting alongside Shubman Gill.
Who opens for GT with Buttler?
Shubman Gill. Gill has stayed at the top of the order rather than dropping to No. 3, with Sai Sudharsan sliding to No. 3 or 4 in the batting order.
Has GT's Powerplay scoring improved?
Yes, clearly. GT's Powerplay run rate is up versus last year's mid-season figure, and more importantly they're avoiding the 35-for-3 starts that cost them tight chases in IPL 2024 and 2025.
What happened to Sai Sudharsan?
He's still in the XI, batting at No. 3 or 4 depending on the matchup. That flexibility has actually been part of GT's success — he's able to come in at different points rather than always being locked at the top.
Are GT a playoff team this year?
Based on mid-season form, yes. They're in the playoff mix, with a balanced squad, one of the best spin attacks in the league through Rashid Khan, and a genuine Powerplay weapon in Buttler.
What's GT's biggest weakness right now?
Their death bowling depth. On slow, low-scoring nights where 15 off the last over matters, GT's seam options are more "solid" than "match-winning". That's why they've been closer to tight games than blowing sides away — something we cover in the chasing vs defending data piece.
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Karthik Iyer
Expert in: Ipl 2026Cricket analyst and content writer at CricJosh, covering Ipl 2026 with 473 articles published.
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