"Another miracle might be loading" - Aakash Chopra on Gujarat Titans' IPL 2024 clash vs KKR

Aakash Chopra reckons the Gujarat Titans (GT) could still pull off a miracle and qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024. GT will face the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 13.

With 10 points from 12 games and a net run rate of -1.063, the Titans are placed eighth on the points table. They will need to register mammoth wins in their remaining two league games to stand any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked the Kolkata Knight Riders as the likely winners of Monday's game. However, he acknowledged that the Gujarat Titans could spring a surprise and miraculously still make it to the playoffs.

"Will Gujarat win? Gujarat won the last match and won convincingly, but how can anyone beat KKR? They are very, very good. I am saying KKR will win but may the best team win. The chasing team could have an advantage, you usually see that in T20 cricket these days," he said (4:30).

"If Gujarat don't win this match, their tournament will be over. However, before leaving after the last match, Shubman Gill said that he has seen miracles with this team. So another miracle might be loading, for all we know," the former India opener added.

Even if the Gujarat Titans register emphatic wins in their remaining two league games, they would need a lot of other results to go in their favor to qualify for the knockouts.

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"Their batting works only when both of them fire" - Aakash Chopra picks Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan among Gujarat Titans players in focus

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan hit centuries in GT's previous game against CSK. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra chose Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as the first two Gujarat Titans players to watch out for in Monday's game.

"Shubman Gill used to be in KKR and I believed you should have retained him because he could have been your future captain. They let him go and he is now Gujarat's captain. However, this year has not been that good but that said, he scored a century in the last match. His partner also scored a century. Their batting works only when both of them fire," he reasoned (5:35).

"They are their most successful pair. Shubman used to open and Sai Sudharsan used to come at No. 3. Now both have started opening. I think they won't play Wriddhiman Saha even if he is available. So Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill will be my players to watch out for, especially as far as their batting is concerned. These two batters are this team's backbone," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Chopra picked Rashid Khan ahead of Noor Ahmad as the GT bowler in focus against KKR.

"Rashid Khan was brilliant in the last game. He bowled well. Noor Ahmad is also bowling well. So you can pick one of them. I would say you can pick Rashid because he is very, very consistent, although he will have different types of challenges in front of him this time," he explained.

Sudharsan (527) and Gill (426) are the Gujarat Titans' top two run-getters in IPL 2024.

Rashid Khan (10) is their second-highest wicket-taker, with only Mohit Sharma (13) having taken more wickets for the franchise this season.