Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has named a few players the Gujarat Titans (GT) might want to retain before the IPL 2025 auction. He added that the franchise might be in a slight dilemma while talking about the future of Mohammed Shami’s retention. However, GT finished eighth in IPL 2024 after lifting the trophy two years ago and lost the final to CSK last year. Shami, who won the Purple Cap in IPL 2023, was ruled out of the recently concluded IPL 2024 due to an ankle injury as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “I will think whether I can go towards Mohammed Shami. He missed this year because of injury but the only thing that goes against him is that he is not getting younger. It’s a three-year retention, so will you want to retain him? He wasn’t very expensive and it’s enough even if he gives me two years. So Shami will be my choice.”
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However, he also named Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as the first two players the Gujarat Titans should retain for the next season as well. With 527 runs in 12 innings, Sudharsan was their highest run-scorer in IPL 2024. Gill (426) followed him with David Miller (210) being a distant third as well.
“Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan will be my first two retentions. I have to keep them and I feel this team will also want to keep them because Sai Sudharsan is consistent and this team is seeing their future around Shubman Gill, and that is why he was the captain as well this year. I will still want to retain Rashid Khan somehow, that if he stays, he could be my third retention. You can figure it out. He might be the second retention and Sai Sudharsan might be the third. However, I will definitely want to retain these three players. I will think about Noor Ahmad and then I might let him go or retain him because I feel you will have more options when you come to the big auction. I don’t see too many other names seeing whom you would say that this guy should be retained. You will have to leave everyone and try to build the team afresh,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
