Shubman Gill reveals why Jos Buttler has been denied opening spot at GT

The Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill has revealed why the star England National Cricket Team batsman Jos Buttler has been denied the opening spot at the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Shubman Gill made the revelation while speaking at the toss ahead of the IPL 2025 match against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, March 29.

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We want to have an LHB-RHB opening combination - Shubman Gill

Gujarat Titans locked horns with Punjab Kings in their tournament opener, and they made a shocking call in the batting department as they went with Gill and Sai Sudharsan as openers despite the presence of Jos Buttler in the team.

Notably, Buttler has an exceptional record as an opener in the Indian Premier League and has single-handedly won many matches. When asked by Ian Bishop about Jos Buttler batting at No.3, Gill said that they want a left-right combo, hence, they took that call. He said:

"(On Jos Buttler at Number 3) Honestly we want to have a LHB-RHB opening combination at the top. Jos has been batting at Number 3 for England as well so nothing changes for him."

Notably, Buttler scored quickfire 54 runs while batting at No.3 against PBKS, but failed to steer his team to a win.

There were a lot of positives from the previous game - Shubman Gill

Gill was also confident of GT's chances against MI, as he said that they had plenty of positives in the previous match. Shubman Gill said:

"I think we have batted first plenty of times here so nothing changes for us. We were also looking to bowl first but now we have to bat first.

"Honestly, we want to assess the conditions first and then set a target if we are batting first. If you are bowling first and batting second, it's all about to chase down the target. There were a lot of positives from the previous game. Only the first 3 overs and a couple of overs in the middle phase cost us the game. We have got the same team. You might see 1 change in the bowling line-up."

Irfan Pathan speaks on Gujarat Titans' top order

Speaking on his official YouTube channel ahead of the GT vs MI match, the former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan talked about the top order of Gujarat Titans and said:

"In the last match, they lost the match at their home. What changes can they make? Powerplay was one concern. But they played powerplay well. Their run rate is generally around 8.5 in power play. Which is a little less in today's times. But in the last match, it was better.

"They brought a right-left combination. Sai Sudarshan, who usually bats at number 3, was opened by him. And he said you take some responsibility. And Shubman Gill's style was also good. It remains to be seen whether Buttler should be played at number 2 or 1 or at number 3. This will be a question."