Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested some changes in the table toppers’ XI of Gujarat Titans for their match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Gujarat has impressed many with their quality performances in the debut season but Chopra feels there are some concerns in their batting department as the team relies heavily on Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya to score big runs.
Gujarat opener Matthew Wade and number three Vijay Shankar have been big flops for them so far this season. Both have had poor performances with the bat as their failures put pressure on Gill and Pandya to take responsibility in every match.
IPL Full Coverage , Schedule , result , orange cap , purple cap
Chopra suggested that the Pandya-led franchise should include either Rahmanullah Gurbaz or Wriddhiman Saha at the top and leave Shankar for Sai Sudarshan.
He said, ‘There is some concern about Gujarat’s batting. Shubman Gill will have to score runs as Matthew Wade is not scoring runs at all. It’s been five matches, so it’s time to try Rahmanullah Gurbaz or Wriddhiman Saha. Sai Sudarshan would be a better option than Vijay Shankar at 3. Abhinav Manohar has done a good job with the bat,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The former India opener further said that skipper Pandya may fail in some matches and Gujarat will have to be prepared for it as other batsmen have not been up to their mark this season.
Read also | IPL 2022: A mixed win for India’s frontline T20 players and hopes
“Hardik Pandya has batted really well but he too will get out early at some stage. It’s not like he’s going to come and score big runs every time. So while bowling is not a concern, batting is a problem. David Miller did well in one match but was not that consistent. Rahul Tewatia is batting very less and hence the opportunities for him are limited.
Gujarat are enjoying a stellar performance in their first season with four wins from five matches as they next take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings, who have struggled with just one win in their kitty so far.
Get all the latest updates cricket news, cricket pictures, cricket videos, IPL 2022 Live Updates And cricket score Here