"He will have to take a little revenge" - Aakash Chopra picks Rashid Khan among Gujarat Titans players in focus in IPL 2024 clash vs RCB
Aakash Chopra reckons Gujarat Titans (GT) spinner Rashid Khan would be looking to avenge the mauling he received from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batters in an IPL 2024 clash in Ahmedabad on April 28.
The two teams will square off in the reverse fixture in Bengaluru on Saturday, May 4. Rashid went wicketless and conceded 51 runs in his four-over spell in Ahmedabad. The usually parsimonious spinner will want to prove that the thrashing in the last game was an aberration.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra chose Rashid as one of the Gujarat Titans players in focus in Saturday's game.
"Rashid Khan is looking cold. He got hit a lot in the last match. He bowled his most expensive over in IPL history. He probably conceded 29 runs in that over. So he will have to take a little revenge. He is 'karamati' Khan and the size of the ground doesn't make a difference to him. However, this year hasn't been that good for him and that is also one of the reasons why this team hasn't done well," he reasoned (7:35).
The former India opener picked Sai Sudharsan as one of the GT batters to watch out for against RCB.
"Sai Sudharsan - very underrated but extremely consistent. In this entire tournament, there has been only one knock where he has scored less than 30 runs. There are a few discussions on his strike rate but the team that he plays for does not have that much stability. So he is just asked to score runs and others can bother about the strike rate," Chopra said.
Sudharsan is the Gujarat Titans' highest run-getter in IPL 2024. The left-handed batter has amassed 418 runs at a decent strike rate of 135.71 in 10 innings.
"If he doesn't fire, the Titanic will sink" - Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill
![Shubman Gill scored a 19-ball 16 against RCB in Ahmedabad. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/d0baa-17147932524902-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra pointed out the importance of Shubman Gill firing with the bat for the Gujarat Titans.
"Since the match is in Bengaluru, it's a flat pitch, and Shubman Gill has class, I have to go with Shubman Gill as a player to watch out for. Shubman Gill firing is absolutely imperative. If he doesn't fire, the Titanic will sink. I am expecting him to play the powerplay well," he elaborated (6:15).
"If he reaches close to 28-30 in the powerplay, he scores big runs. If he remains at 15-18 and doesn't encash the powerplay, he gets slightly stuck later. So I am hoping he makes the powerplay count. If Shubman does that, no one can stop him. Then he bats extremely well," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
Gill is the Titans' second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. The stylish opener has aggregated 320 runs at a strike rate of 140.96 in 10 innings.