India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill might have lost his place in the T20I side, but he remains one of the key pillars of the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shubman Gill is expected to lead the batting charge for the franchise in the upcoming IPL 2026.

While all focus will be on Gill, we predicted that the three players who could be key contributors to the Gujarat team’s success this season are. GT’s 2025 season ended in the eliminator, but now they are keen on making a strong impression with a balanced and more confident lineup.

3 players could power GT to IPL 2026 glory

As the Gujarat Titans are set to begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Punjab Kings on March 31 in New Chandigarh, Sai Sudharsan, Rashid Khan, and Prasidh Krishan can be the X-factors who can propel the franchise to their second title this year.

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Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan has become the backbone of GT’s batting. Last season, he won the Orange Cap for being the leading run-scorer (759 runs) in the tournament. Sai’s calm approach, ability to play long innings, and holding one end make him an irreplaceable player for the franchise.

His left-handed batting also offers the Gujarat Titans the opportunity to have a left-right opening pair with Gill. He is also a big-match player. Sai has over 1700 runs in 40 IPL matches to his name so far.

Rashid Khan

Afghanistan’s spin wizard and captain, Rashid Khan, may not have had his best season last year, but everyone knows what he is capable of. He is still one of the most dangerous spinners in T20 cricket.

The leg-spinner is the go-to player when the team needs a breakthrough. His googlies are very hard to read, and he bowls at a quick pace, which makes it difficult for batters to attack him. The wicket-taking spinner has become a dangerous finisher who can hit big sixes and turn the match in no time.

Rashid is one of the all-time successful spinners in the IPL, with 158 wickets in 136 matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.09. Now, he would be keen to make a significant impact for GT.

Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna has become the leader of GT’s fast bowling attack. The Indian pacer won the Purple Cap for being the highest wicket-taker with 25 wickets in the last season. He was especially dangerous in the death overs, picking up the most wickets in that phase.

He bowls with good pace and hits hard lengths, which makes it tough for batters to attack him. He is their main strike weapon in the league. With Mohammed Siraj, he forms a strong fast-bowling attack for the Gujarat Titans. Both bowls above 145 kmph will be key assets in the upcoming IPL 2026.

Krishna has so far played 32 matches and scalped 74 wickets in 66 IPL matches at an average of 29.61 and an economy rate of 8.77 so far. The GT are expecting the same kind of performance he delivered last season with the ball as they aim for their second IPL trophy this season.

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The bill seeks to earmark a minimum 50% IG-level posts, 67% ADG-level posts and all DG and special DG-level posts in CAPFs for deputation (Representative image)

NEW DELHI: Citing the need to retain deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Central armed police forces (CAPFs) for operational efficiency through better Centre-state coordination, the home ministry is set to move a bill in Parliament earmarking a minimum 50% inspector-general (IG) level posts, 67% additional director general-level posts (ADG) and all director-general (DG) and special DG-level posts in CAPFs for deputation.TOI was the first to report on March 11 that the Union cabinet had approved the draft CAPF (General Administration) Bill, 2026, which provides for continuing with the deputation of IPS officers to CAPFs.The recruitment and service conditions of Group A General Duty officers and other officers/members of CAPFs are currently regulated by rules issued through an executive order. “In recent years, due to absence of an umbrella law, regulatory provisions have evolved in a fragmented manner, resulting in several litigation on service-related matters and leading to some functional and administrative difficulties….There is a need to lay down an umbrella law to regulate the recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of Group A general duty officers and other officers…to ensure legislative clarity, preserving their distinct operational and functional requirements and harmonising judicial directions with administrative and federal requirements,” it is underlined in the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.The bill effectively blunts the Supreme Court order passed in May last year confirming ‘organised services’ (OGAS) status for group A CAPF officers for all purposes and directing the govt to progressively reduce deputation posts of IPS officers in the senior administrative grade (SAG) up to the rank of IG in CAPFs. As per current recruitment rules for CAPFs, 20% of the posts at DIG level and 50% at the IG level are deputation posts for IPS officers.The CAPF (General Administration) Bill does not retain the 20% deputation quota for DIG-level posts.The May 2025 ruling by SC was seen as a potential career boost for around 13,000 CAPF cadre officers, who had been complaining of discrimination on account of IPS officers occupying the senior-level posts.Noting that IPS officers serving on deputation are an integral part of CAPFs, the bill’s text underlines how CAPFs perform duties relating to national security and anti-insurgency in coordination with the state authorities. “In the interest of maintaining Centre-state relations by ensuring close coordination between the Union and the states for effective operational functioning, it is essential to maintain the existing system of deputation of the IPS officers in CAPFs,” it notes.

Shubman Gill, Deepti Sharma

LUCKNOW: Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma headlined the honours in the cricket category as they were named ‘Cricketer of the Year’ (Male and Female) at the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 here on Saturday.Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav and Harmanpreet Kaur bagged the award for special recognition in the Cricket (Male) and special recognition in Cricket (Female), respectively.The ceremony in Lucknow recognised athletes across more than 45 sporting categories, honouring performances during the evaluation period from January 1 to December 31, 2025.This edition reflected a year where Indian cricket recorded strong performances across formats and tournaments on the global stage.For Shubman Gill, 2025 marked a phase of consistency and leadership.He won two ICC Men’s Player of the Month awards during the year, becoming the first male cricketer to claim the honour four times overall. Entering the ICC Champions Trophy as the top-ranked ODI batter, Gill scored an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in the group stage, setting the tone for India’s title-winning campaign. He also served as deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup (T20), where India defeated Pakistan in the final to lift the trophy.In Tests, Gill took over as captain following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He began his tenure with a century at Headingley, becoming one of the Indian captains to score a hundred in their first Test in charge. He followed it with successive centuries at Edgbaston, including 269 — the highest Test score by an Indian captain — and 161 in the same match, aggregating 430 runs, the second-highest in a Test after Graham Gooch. Gill also became only the third Indian captain to score five Test centuries in a calendar year.In the women’s category, Deepti Sharma delivered a key all-round performance in 2025.She was named Player of the Tournament at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup after scoring 215 runs and taking 22 wickets in nine matches. She became the first cricketer to register the double of 200 runs and 20 wickets in a single World Cup edition. Her contribution in the final in Mumbai played a role in India winning the title.The winners were selected by an illustrious jury comprising legendary athletes whose achievements have shaped Indian sport.Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Leander Paes, and Devendra Jhajharia formed the panel for this edition.Their collective experience ensured that the honours reflected performances across levels, recognising contributions that shaped India’s sporting year.

AGRA: A police constable in Aligarh has been suspended and booked for allegedly telling a 25-year-old rape survivor that her complaint would be acted upon only if she first met him in a hotel room and “had sex with him”, police said on Friday.The survivor recorded phone conversations in which constable Imran Khan, posted at Quarsi police station, allegedly told her: “If you send me a sexy photo of yourself right now, I will get you clothes for Eid… come with me to the hotel. We share the same religion… I will send him to jail and get a case registered against him; in return, you will have to sleep with me,” the constable allegedly told her.He further said, “Swear on the Quran, if you tell this to anyone, I will die… I will not let any action be taken; on the contrary, I will send you to jail.”According to the complaint, the woman had approached the Quarsi police station weeks ago, alleging that a man raped her on the false promise of marriage. She also submitted a complaint through the CM’s Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) portal seeking action.She alleged that instead of acting on her complaint, the constable called her, gathered details, and later began pressuring her for sexual favours over text messages and phone calls. The survivor recorded the conversations and approached senior police officials.Following her complaint, SSP Neeraj Kumar Jadaun ordered the constable’s suspension and directed registration of an FIR on Wednesday.Police said the accused has been booked under relevant BNS sections, including sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. Further investigation is underway.

DSP Sarvam Singh said, “The woman appeared before the SSP, after which an inquiry was assigned to me. A report was submitted, and on the SSP’s directions, a case has been registered. Further investigation is underway.”