"Once their wagon changed gears, flight mode was activated" - Aakash Chopra lauds Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan's partnership in GT's win vs CSK

Aakash Chopra has lauded Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan for scoring enterprising centuries in the Gujarat Titans' (GT) IPL 2024 win against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). While Gill scored a 55-ball 104, Sudharsan smashed 103 runs off 51 deliveries.

The duo's 210-run opening-wicket partnership helped GT set CSK a massive 232-run target in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 10. The hosts then restricted the defending champions to 196/8 to register a 35-run win and climb into eighth position on the points table.

Reflecting on the Gujarat Titans' batting in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Gill and Sudharsan never released the accelerator once they gathered momentum.

"Both openers came and hit a lot. Both - Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill - scored centuries. They were batting at a different level. The start wasn't that rapid-fire but after that, once their wagon changed gears, the flight mode was activated," he said (1:40).

The former India opener praised Sudharsan for his ability to pierce the gaps with authentic cricketing shots.

"The thing I like a lot about Sai Sudharsan is that he bats very well in a cricketing fashion. He hit a six over cover, started from there. The way he flicks the ball is top-notch. He has very quick hands and hits the balls on the stumps. Since the time is going good, the ball doesn't hit his pads, or else you feel that it might hit his pads," Chopra elaborated.

"He plays almost off-stump balls on the leg side. The third thing I really like about his batting is that he plays along the ground and pierces the fielders in the deep. It's very rare that you have so much strength that you beat the fielder in the deep even when you are hitting along the ground. It doesn't look like he would hit big sixes but he hits," the former KKR player added.

Sudharsan struck five fours and seven sixes during his 103-run knock. He was eventually caught at extra cover by Shivam Dube off Tushar Deshpande's bowling while attempting another big shot.

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"Don't bowl on his legs" - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill's strokeplay

Shubman Gill struck nine fours and six sixes during his 104-run knock. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra was equally appreciative of Shubman Gill's strokeplay.

"Shubman Gill also started hitting from the start. He hit a very good six against the left-arm spinner after jumping down the track. He did that in the first over bowled by Mitchell Santner. After that, don't bowl on his legs. If you bowl on his legs, he keeps hitting fours," he said (2:50).

"He has played a shot many times this season, once against Kagiso Rabada and today he hit a length ball into the stands. When he plays those shots, you say this guy's class is different. His playing ability is incredible. Some shots were lovable," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Chopra recalled a pulled six Sachin Tendulkar hit off Andrew Caddick's bowling while moving across outside the off-stump. While acknowledging that Daryl Mitchell is not as proficient a bowler as the England seamer, he noted that Gill treated him similarly.