“It’s not like everything is hunky-dory with the Titans” - Aakash Chopra picks out GT’s weak areas in IPL 2022
Aakash Chopra reckons that, despite being the most consistent side in IPL 2022, the Gujarat Titans (GT) are not an invincible outfit. Referring to the franchise’s recent eight-wicket loss at the hands of the Punjab Kings (PBKS), the former Indian batter stated that opponents can put the debutants in trouble.
Gujarat batted first after winning the toss against Punjab, but only managed to score an under-par 143 for eight. The opposition chased down the target in 16 overs. Hardik Pandya and Co. will be keen to return to winning ways when they take on the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, 6 May.
Previewing the contest. Chopra said on his YouTube channel that Gujarat still have some work to do in their batting department. He elaborated:
“It’s not like everything is hunky-dory with the Titans. In the last match, we found out that if both Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill fail and David Miller doesn’t score in the middle-overs, it’s a different story. Also, Rahul Tewatia is known for scoring in the second innings, not the first one. Can he score runs while batting first, that’s a big question."
A tale of two colours - blue and golden - in the words of #PapaPandya 😍
📽 Captain relives his MI memories before the clash of the day #GTvMI
@hardikpandya7
#SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe https://t.co/4ZNe7Gh69v
The 44-year-old urged GT opener Wriddhiman Saha to be slightly more patient since his partner Shubman Gill is struggling for runs. He added:
“Expecting a little more patience from Wriddhiman Saha because Gill is not scoring a lot of runs. Gill not scoring is an issue because he has been given the prime opening slot. He made an 80 and a 90 at the start, but now he needs to start scoring again.”
While Gill was dismissed for nine against Punjab, Saha perished for 21. Sai Sudharsan contributed an unbeaten 65, but Hardik, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan all fell cheaply to leave the IPL team in big trouble.
The detailed IPL 2022 schedule are available here.
“It’s been a while since Lockie Ferguson claimed two to three wickets” - Aakash Chopra on GT speedster
📽️ Daawat-e-Eid in the Gujarat Titans' camp, courtesy Rashid Bhai... 😍
The family that eats together, stays together 💙
#SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe https://t.co/XW0pVSVY6b
Chopra also expressed concern over the form of GT pacer Lockie Ferguson. Pointing out that the New Zealand speedster hasn’t picked up too many wickets in recent matches, he said:
“It’s been a while since Lockie Ferguson claimed two to three wickets. He has been underwhelming and has not had a good game for a while. Mohammed Shami is carrying this attack. Alzarri Joseph is doing what he can do best.”
Since claiming three for 23 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Ferguson has only managed three scalps in five games and has also proved expensive in some matches.