Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has pointed out the weak links in the Gujarat Titans lineup ahead of IPL 2026. According to the former cricketer, the Gujarat Titans are overwhelmingly dependent on their top three for the majority of their run-scoring.
The Gujarat Titans won the first-ever season in the IPL when they made their debut in 2022. Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, they were off to consecutive IPL finals but missed out on a major opportunity in their second season in 2023.
They also finished as the fourth team in the competition after they were knocked out in the Eliminator back against the Mumbai Indians. The former Indian cricketer predicted that the Gujarat Titans would have many weak links in the competition.
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Gujarat Titans are overreliant on their top three – Aakash Chopra
The former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra, pointed out that the Gujarat Titans are slightly overdependent on their top-order batters, and that might prove to be their biggest weakness in competing. He also highlighted the poor form of Jos Buttler, who has struggled significantly on good tracks as well.
“What are their weaknesses? They can be called weaknesses or challenges. A slight overdependence is still seen on the top three. It’s great if they replicate what they did last year, which means the top three bat together till the 14th or 15th over, and at least one of them should 100 percent be there till the 15th over,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Buttler was last seen playing for England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and it was probably the worst World Cup of his career. He could manage to score 87 runs in the 8 matches he played for England at an average of a mere 10.88.
“However, the truth is that Jos Buttler’s current form is very, very pedestrian. We have not seen Jos Buttler playing more ordinarily than this in any World Cup edition. He was seen struggling in good conditions this time.
“So will that be a bit of an issue for the Gujarat Titans? You want to start with Jos Buttler, but what if the form doesn’t remain good? Both openers can’t score runs every time,” he added.
“The second challenge will be that if the top three don’t do well,” Aakash Chopra’s stern warning to GT middle-order batters
Not only Jos Buttler but also Shubman Gill lacked form in the shortest format of the game, as he was snubbed from India’s T20 World Cup squad. He will have a lot to prove to secure not only his position but also the chances of being India’s future all-format captain.
If the top order fails to perform, the middle-order batters for the Gujarat Titans will be under immense pressure. “The second challenge will be that if the top three don’t do well, there will be pressure on Nos. 4 to 6, in which there could be a bigger role for Washington Sundar, and Glenn Phillips might get to play games consistently,” said Chopra.
Then Kumar Kushagra is coming with a seriously good form. Then you may want to get in Jason Holder as well,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
Who will be the Gujarat Titans’ top 4 overseas options?
The Gujarat Titans will have to pick wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler, who contributes exponentially to the Titans’ batting order. However, they will also have to pick Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan as the two other overseas cricketers in the side.
This clearly means they will not have both Jason Holder and Glenn Phillips on the same team. To achieve that, they will have to sacrifice Kagiso Rabada’s spot in the team.
“If they keep Holder, they won’t be able to play Kagiso Rabada. So one of Holder and Glenn Phillips might be seen playing. The right combination needs to be found quickly. So that is one challenge they will face,” he added.
Chopra has been doubtful about Rashid Khan’s form as well. He feels that though the spinner has recovered lately, his form in the IPL has been cold over many seasons. No one has ever seen Rashid this cold in his career.
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