"I feel they are playing a batter short" - Aakash Chopra on GT ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Gujarat Titans (GT) have been playing a batter short in IPL 2025. He noted that the franchise is heavily reliant on its top three in the batting department.

GT will lock horns with the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match 60 of IPL 2025 in Delhi in the evening game on Sunday, May 18. With 16 points from 11 matches, the visitors are placed second on the points table, and a win in Sunday's game will secure them a playoff berth.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener urged the Gujarat Titans to stick with their usual top four but noted that they have been short of batting depth in IPL 2025.

"They have no problems for now. Stability, continuity, and a different philosophy of playing T20 cricket. They have depended a lot on the top three. Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler have all done very well. There has been just one match in which none of them scored a fifty. Interestingly, they won that match as well, the last match against Mumbai," Chopra said (8:50).

"However, Jos will go and Kusal Mendis will come in his place. The good news is that Sherfane Rutherford will stay. Don't touch the batting order in this match. Let the top four remain the same. When Kusal Mendis comes, you will need Sherfane Rutherford more. Then you can bring in Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia. When I see their batting lineup, I feel they are playing a batter short," he added.

Sai Sudharsan (509), Shubman Gill (508) and Jos Buttler (500) are the only GT batters to aggregate more than 250 runs in IPL 2025. However, the IPL 2022 champions will be without Buttler's services for the playoffs, if they reach that stage, and have signed Kusal Mendis as his replacement for ₹75 lakh.

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"Washi might have a bigger role here" - Aakash Chopra on GT's bowling ahead of IPL 2025 clash vs DC

Washington Sundar has bowled only 9.5 overs in IPL 2025. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on the Gujarat Titans' bowling, Aakash Chopra opined that Washington Sundar might be used more with the ball in their IPL 2025 clash against the Delhi Capitals.

"I feel Washi might have a bigger role here. Keep Washi also in the scheme of things for sure. (Abhishek) Porel will come at the start and Axar (Patel) will come later. So you can go with that thought process, and also keeping an eye on the future, as you might need him there," he said (9:45) in the same video.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned that Shubman Gill and company will likely field a four-pronged seam attack in Sunday's game.

"Then Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan. Generally, they go with four fast bowlers in an evening game. Kagiso Rabada is available for now. Then you have Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj. You can play Ishant (Sharma), as it's his home, or else you can play Arshad (Khan), whatever you wish to do," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra opined that the Gujarat Titans are a better team than the Delhi Capitals. He picked the visitors as the likely winners in Sunday evening's game.