"If you look at players who have performed the least, you feel it's Rashid Khan" - Aakash Chopra on GT's potential releases after IPL 2025

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Gujarat Titans (GT) won't release any of their big-ticket players despite their known issues in IPL 2025. While acknowledging that Rashid Khan underperformed in the recently concluded season, he reckoned the franchise won't let go of the Afghanistan spinner.

With 18 points from 14 games, GT finished third after the IPL 2025 league phase. They were knocked out of the tournament after a 20-run loss to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on May 30.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener noted that the Gujarat Titans were hit hard in IPL 2025 by their middle issues, and Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada's below-par performances. However, Chopra virtually ruled out the chances of the IPL 2022 champions releasing any of their prominent players.

"I think they will not change anything. They will not let go of anyone. Everyone knows that the top three score all the runs and there are slight problems from No. 4 to No. 6, Rashid Khan hasn't been in that good form, and Kagiso Rabada hasn't really pulled his weight in the side," he said (12:00).

"However, what will you change? You cannot change anything. What will you gain by releasing and reacquiring anyone? You are not going to release Rashid, although Rashid is the most expensive, and if you look at players who have performed the least, you feel it's Rashid Khan," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Chopra pointed out that Rashid can win games single-handedly when he is at the top of his game.

"However, he is Rashid. You ask karamati Khan to stay even if he has one or two bad years because the day he performs, he will win you the match. Even when he was not performing well this season, when he performed in one match, he won them that match. So he has got that kind of quality and pedigree," he observed.

Rashid Khan picked up only nine wickets at an economy rate of 9.34 in 15 innings in IPL 2025. Kagiso Rabada accounted for only two dismissals at an economy rate of 11.57 in four innings this season.

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"You will keep Sherfane Rutherford as well" - Aakash Chopra on GT's other potential releases after IPL 2025

Sherfane Rutherford aggregated 291 runs at a strike rate of 157.29 in 11 innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the Gujarat Titans are unlikely to release Sherfane Rutherford, Sai Kishore, Arshad Khan and Washington Sundar either.

"You will keep Sherfane Rutherford as well. What will you gain by releasing him? Then, whether it's Sai Kishore or Arshad Khan, they have also done decently. I am saying Washington Sundar has also done decently whenever he has gotten a chance," he said (12:45).

The analyst opined that GT don't have the option of releasing too many expensive players, although he acknowledged that they need to address their middle-order issues.

"There is no need to talk about Sai Sudharsan. Whether you talk about Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna or Shubman Gill, what will you change? In my opinion, Gujarat won't change anything. They need a little solidity in the middle order. They will try to get that, but I doubt that they will let people go," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra noted that the Gujarat Titans would have plans and strategies for the IPL 2026 auction. However, he wondered where they would get the money from, considering the players they can release aren't too expensive.