Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra stated that the Gujarat Titans are short in the batting department and they should have picked better overseas batter options at the IPL 2022 mega auction as well. The Titans, who are one of two new teams to join the IPL this season, has drafted in Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill before the mega auction. They bought 20 more players at the auction to complete their 23-member squad as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra added: “I totally agree with you because why did they not go? The batting is looking slightly weak. In my opinion, they could have kept more overseas batter options. You have Jason Roy but other than him, which is the other overseas opener option you have?”
The former India opener also said that the Ahmedabad-based franchise might be looking at Matthew Wade as an opener as well. Chopra explained: “They are probably thinking about Matthew Wade as a finisher or as an opener, which may not be a bad choice. Let’s be honest, Matthew Wade is a gun T20 player and brings along a very good vibe. He is a fighting sort of player. So wicketkeeper, opener, lower-order batter, he doesn’t play Tests, so will be available.”
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Aakash Chopra also added that Wriddhiman Saha will be redundant if Wade is already in the playing XI as a keeper. And, he wasn’t happy with the purchase of David Miller.
“I am not at all happy with David Miller’s purchase. He might prove me wrong, he has done once earlier also that if it is in the arc, it goes out of the park. It might happen again but they spent too much money. They could have picked Sam Billings, they would have got him cheaper than Miller, he would have been another wicket-keeping option. There were better middle-order batters – I thought about Rassie van der Dussen, I was thinking about Steve Smith also or I was even thinking that you could have kept Ajinkya Rahane,” Aakash Chopra again shared.
Aakash Chopra believes the Punjab Kings (PBKS) are one of the teams who have improved a lot with their new signings at the IPL 2022 Auction. However, PBKS had released KL Rahul and retained only Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh – ahead of the mega auction. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra shared his views on this.
He responded: “Punjab [Kings] was down in the dumps, they were playing badly continuously. Now they have a team with which they can wish to win the tournament. They have got almost everything covered. Rajasthan Royals – they used to play with an almost non-existing bowling. But they have now emerged as a very good team. Delhi was already strong, so I won’t say anything about them.”
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Aakash Chopra also feels that while the Chennai Super Kings have done well, the Mumbai Indians have lost their plot a bit.
“I think Mumbai [Indians] have gone a little down. They have become a little weaker as compared to the last season. Chennai is standing where they were earlier, there has not been much change in them. Kolkata Knight Riders are also standing where they were last year. Sunrisers Hyderabad have become slightly weaker if you compare it to the last year. Gujarat Titans have just started, Lucknow is looking super good. RCB have become better than last time,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
