"You will focus on him once again" - Aakash Chopra on GT ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC
Former India player Aakash Chopra has picked the Gujarat Titans' (GT) top-order batting as their biggest strength heading into their IPL 2025 clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC). He noted that the in-form Sai Sudharsan will be in focus once again.
GT will host DC in Match 35 of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad in the afternoon game on Saturday, April 19. With eight points from six games, the hosts are third in the standings, and a win in Saturday's game will help them displace the visitors from the top of the points table.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that the Gujarat Titans' top three have been in excellent form and opined that Sudharsan will once again be one of the players to watch out for.
"Gujarat will be seen playing once again. I thought Gujarat had taken a break from the tournament. So many days had passed, and they hadn't played. The Gujarat team is good. Their biggest strength has been that their top three are playing extremely well. Sai Sudharsan has been in incredible form. He bats absolutely clean. So you will focus on him once again," he said (6:30).
While highlighting that Shubman Gill is returning to his happy hunting ground, Chopra added that GT's previous game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) demonstrated their reliance on their top three.
"Since it's the Ahmedabad ground, Shubman Gill will also come. Since it's been a long time, we have forgotten against whom they played their last match. It was against LSG, and they lost that match. Shubman scored runs there. Jos Buttler got out slightly early, and Sherfane Rutherford couldn't accelerate that much. This has been this team's template," he observed.
Sai Sudharsan (329), Jos Buttler (218) and Shubman Gill (208) have been the Gujarat Titans' top three run-getters in IPL 2025. Sherfane Rutherford (158) is their only other player to score more than 100 runs this season.
"Gujarat's template is set in stone" - Aakash Chopra on GT's thought process ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC
![Washington Sundar has played only two games for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/04/97fbf-17450410707755-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra reckoned that the Gujarat Titans are unlikely to change the template they have followed thus far in IPL 2025 and will include Washington Sundar in the playing combination only if required.
"They use Washi Sundar only when they feel they should, or else they don't use him in every match. Their thought process is like that. I feel their template is not going to change. Gujarat's template is set in stone. They don't have difficulties, and they keep going the same way," he said (7:55).
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that GT have used Arshad Khan with either Kulwant Khejroliya or Ishant Sharma to complement Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore in the bowling attack.
"In bowling also, it's conditions applied. They have Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. They get Arshad Khan to bowl only two overs. Then Rashid Khan and Sai Kishore come, and then they get either Kulwant Khejroliya or Ishant Sharma to bowl two overs," Chopra observed.
However, Aakash Chopra wondered why Shubman Gill and company haven't used Gerald Coetzee in Kagiso Rabada's absence.
"I still don't know why Gerald Coetzee isn't playing. He has been seen sitting outside. I don't know when Kagiso Rabada will come back. He might or might not have come. Gerald Coetzee might or might not be fit. These people don't tell us anything. Why do they not tell - I have got no idea," he elaborated.
Kagiso Rabada has missed the Gujarat Titans' last four games in IPL 2025 as he returned home for personal reasons. There is no clarity yet on the South African seamer's availability for the remainder of the tournament.