Aakash Chopra said that Gujarat Titans (GT) are heavily dependent on their top three batsmen – Shubman Gill, Sai Sudarshan and. jos buttler. The former India opener said that Buttler's poor form in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) could be a cause for concern for him.
The former England captain struggled during the recently concluded T20 World Cup. He scored just 87 runs in eight matches at a modest average of 10.87. Chopra said Buttler struggled in good batting conditions and he will have to deliver aggressive performances for the Titans in the IPL as Gill and Sudarshan will not be able to score in every match.
“What are their weaknesses? They can be called weaknesses or challenges. A little over-dependence on the top three is still seen. It is great if they repeat what they did last year, which means the top three bat together till the 14th or 15th over, and at least one of them has to be 100 per cent till the 15th over,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
He said, “However, the truth is that Jos Buttler's current form is very good. We have not seen Jos Buttler playing more normally than this in any World Cup edition. He was seen struggling in good conditions this time. So will it be a bit of an issue for Gujarat Titans? You want to start with Jos Buttler, but what if the form is not good? Both the openers cannot score runs every time.”
Chopra said that if the top three do not perform well then it will make things difficult for the middle order. He also mentioned the importance of finding the right combination quickly with overseas stars like Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder and Kagiso Rabada.
“The other challenge will be that if the top three don't perform well, there will be pressure on Nos. 4 to 6, with Washington Sundar likely to have a big role, and Glenn Phillips getting a chance to play consistent games. Then Kumar Kushagra is coming in with seriously good form. Then you might want to include Jason Holder as well,” said the cricketer turned commentator.
He said, “If they keep Holder, they will not be able to play Kagiso Rabada. So one of Holder and Glenn Phillips can be seen playing. The right combination needs to be found quickly. So that is a challenge they will have to face.”
We have never seen Rashid Khan so cold: Aakash Chopra
According to Chopra, the second concern for the Titans is the form of Rashid Khan. The charismatic leg spinner has not been at his best in the last few seasons of the IPL. His average in IPL 2024 was 36.70 and last year it was 57.11. In his last 27 matches in the cash-rich league, the Afghanistan legend has taken only 19 wickets.
Chopra said, “Rashid Khan's recent form. He has recovered a bit recently, but I am talking about recent IPL form. Two or three seasons have been very cold. We have never seen Rashid Khan so cold. So that could be a problem.”
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