"You will need Shubman Gill's batting on this pitch" - Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Titans skipper heading into IPL 2024 clash vs CSK
Aakash Chopra reckons the Gujarat Titans (GT) need Shubman Gill to fire with the bat in their IPL 2024 clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The IPL 2023 finalists will face off at Chepauk in Chennai on Tuesday, March 26. The Titans will hope to avenge the loss in last edition's summit clash and become the first team to win an away game this season.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked Gill among the three Gujarat Titans personnel he is eager to watch in Tuesday's game.
"One more time I am going with the captain. If it's Rutu's (Ruturaj Gaikwad's) reign and he is young, then Shubman Gill is also as young. Both started with a win, so I am going with Shubman Gill. Once again, like Rutu, he was batting very well in the first match until he got out while trying to play a shot against Piyush Chawla," he said (5:25).
"You will need Shubman Gill's batting on this pitch because if Gujarat has to do well, Shubman needs to have a very good, long and big season. I see a little lack of experience in their batting. This is the team that has not yet started playing explosively even though you have an extra batter. Other teams are trying to do that but Gujarat is not," the former India opener added.
Gill, who was the Orange Cap winner last season, failed to score a half-century in the Titans' Qualifier 1 and final defeats against CSK. He will want to make amends and play a match-winning knock against the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side.
"Their bowling is decent but Rashid Khan needs to fire" - Aakash Chopra on the other Gujarat Titans player to watch out for
Aakash Chopra chose Rashid Khan as the second Gujarat Titans player in focus.
"My second player is Rashid Khan. I am very keen to see whether Noor Ahmad plays with Rashid or not. You can play Noor Ahmad in place of Spencer Johnson because spin might come in more handy on the Chennai pitch. Their bowling is decent but Rashid Khan needs to fire. He is the lion in the jungle, who, whether he eats or not, will scare everyone," he reasoned (6:25).
The renowned commentator added that he will also keenly follow the Titans' head coach Ashish Nehra.
"Last but not the least, my focus will be on Ashish Nehra. Gujarat's specialty is that they tend to win all close encounters. The reason for that is Ashish Nehra makes this team combine the five fingers to make a fist. He extracts the best even from ordinary players. I am looking forward to watching Ashish Nehra on the sidelines," Chopra explained.
Nehra was repeatedly sending in instructions for Shubman Gill and the Gujarat Titans bowlers during their narrow six-run win against the Mumbai Indians. Spencer Johnson, who bowled an excellent penultimate over after proving expensive earlier, disclosed that the former India pacer encouraged him and told him he would win the game for the franchise.