"Can he captain that well?" - Aakash Chopra on the opportunity for Shubman Gill as Gujarat Titans skipper in IPL 2024

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra feels Shubman Gill has a great opportunity to show his leadership credentials while captaining the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2024.

The Titans traded out Hardik Pandya, their skipper for the last two seasons, to the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. They subsequently named Gill as their captain for the upcoming edition of the prestigious league.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that IPL 2024 will present Gill with an opportunity to excel in the challenging leadership role.

"Opportunity - Shubman Gill, my rockstar player, DNA of greatness. But this is going to be a new challenge as you will be playing as a captain now. All of us have seen that he bats well. You are making him the captain now because he is your most important player in that side, but can he captain that well?" he said (10:15).

The former India opener added that the tuning between Gill and Ashish Nehra could hold the key to the Gujarat Titans' success this year.

"I feel the Gujarat Titans' captaincy strings are tied to Ashish Nehra. If that tuning is fine, which I feel will be the case, they will take the team forward. So Shubman Gill will have a huge opportunity as a captain," Chopra observed.

Gill has never captained in the IPL previously. Even Hardik Pandya had never donned the captain's hat before becoming the Titans skipper. However, he led the Ahmedabad-based franchise to a title and a runners-up finish under Nehra's guidance as head coach.

---

"Umesh Yadav has been almost discarded" - Aakash Chopra on the opportunity for Gujarat Titans pacer

The Gujarat Titans acquired Umesh Yadav at the IPL 2024 auction. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra noted that IPL 2024 also presents Umesh Yadav with an opportunity to resurrect his career.

"The same is the case with Umesh Yadav. Umesh Yadav has been almost discarded. No one was playing him and he has come to this team. The ball moves here under lights. He is a bowler who can pick up two or three wickets with the new ball and will do well under Ashish Nehra," he elaborated (10:55).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that another Indian seamer might also get an opportunity to take the new ball alongside Umesh.

"Mohit Sharma will take care of the death overs and Umesh Yadav will be handed the new ball. Who will bowl along with him, whether it will be Darshan Nalkande or Kartik Tyagi, so there is also an opportunity for another Indian seamer alongside Umesh Yadav," Chopra stated.

Chopra concluded by pointing out that there might be an opportunity for an Indian spinner as well. He noted that either Sai Kishore or Jayant Yadav could be a part of the playing XI if the Titans are unable to play Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad together.