The Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka as a cover for the injured Glenn Phillips for the rest of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. Phillips, signed by GT for Rs 2 crore in the auction, injured his groin during the Titans' encounter against SunRisers Hyderabad on April 6. While the New Zealand international did not have a chance to play for the playing XI this season, he was a common sight taking the field as a substitute. He has now headed home for recovery, and the franchise hopes to see him back in cricket soon.

As a response, GT has re-signed a familiar name in Shanaka, who was earlier among the team members for IPL 2023. The Sri Lankan all-rounder played three games during his earlier stint, scoring 26 runs at a strike rate of 100, but did not get a chance to bowl. Shanaka offers a bucketload of overseas experience to the team. The 32-year-old has played 102 T20Is for Sri Lanka, scoring 1,456 runs and taking 33 wickets. He also has experience in 71 ODIs and six Tests.

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Shanaka's Recent Form and Potential Impact

He joins the IPL after a winning campaign with the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, where he performed crucially in allowing the team to claim the title. Shanaka accumulated 164 runs from 10 matches and added four wickets, demonstrating his worth in pressure games. He also played for Sri Lanka's domestic red-ball competitions this year.

With GT fighting to find consistency this year, Shanaka may find himself in for a more significant role under captaincy from Shubman Gill. His addition brings depth and flexibility into a team that aims to build up its middle order.

Updated Gujarat Titans Squad: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (Captain), Jos Buttler (wk), Shahrukh Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Washington Sundar, Dasun Shanaka, Anuj Rawat, Mahipal Lomror, Arshad Khan, Jayant Yadav, Nishant Sindhu, Kulwant Khejroliya, Gerald Coetzee, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Karim Janat.