Ahmedabad, April 4: The Gujarat Titans faced a sudden leadership change at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday after captain Shubman Gill was ruled out of the IPL 2026 fixture against Rajasthan Royals. Rashid Khan took over the captaincy duties following the announcement that Gill is suffering from a muscle spasm.
The injury came as a surprise to many, as Gill had participated in training sessions leading up to the game after featuring in the season opener against Punjab Kings. During the toss, Rashid affirmed that the star batter was unavailable due to the physical setback but expressed optimism regarding a quick recovery.
“Gill has a muscle spasm; hopefully, he will be back soon,” Rashid stated to the official broadcaster.
In Gill’s absence, Gujarat made several adjustments to their lineup. The match also marked a strategic shift in the tournament’s trend, as Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag chose to bat first after winning the toss—the first time a team has opted to set a target in the current edition of the IPL.
The Titans are looking to bounce back from a narrow loss in their previous outing. Rashid maintained that the team has identified specific areas for growth following their close encounter with Punjab.
“Some of the areas we need to improve are our bowling and also our batting,” the stand-in captain asserted. He noted that the squad had held extensive meetings to address these points and intended to bring their best performance to the field.
