"You made him bowl against Pooran but didn't bowl him against Axar" - Aakash Chopra questions Shubman Gill's captaincy in GT's IPL 2025 win vs DC

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Shubman Gill for his captaincy in the Gujarat Titans' (GT) IPL 2025 win against the Delhi Capitals (DC). He highlighted that the GT skipper didn't use Sai Kishore just because the left-handed Axar Patel was at the crease, pointing out that the left-arm spinner was used when Nicholas Pooran was batting in their previous game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Kishore was given only the 20th over as DC set GT a 204-run target in Match 35 of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad on Saturday, April 19. The home team achieved the target with seven wickets and four deliveries to spare to climb atop the points table.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener noted that virtually all DC batters made useful contributions to take their team to a 200-plus total. However, he wondered why Kishore wasn't given the ball when Axar was batting.

"Delhi started well, whether it was Abishek Porel or Karun Nair, or KL Rahul after that. Axar Patel, Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma also scored important runs, and they reached beyond 200," Chopra said (16:05).

"However, I felt there were one or two odd things. Sai Kishore wasn't given an over when Bapu was playing. I felt they forgot him. He can bowl against left-handers. You made him bowl against Pooran but didn't bowl him against Axar. Axar started fast but then slowed down as wickets were falling at the other end," he added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Gill had no option but to give the final over to Kishore.

"It seemed like he (Axar) was also getting tired. It was very, very hot. However, I felt Shubman Gill missed a trick. He had to give an over to Sai Kishore in the end as no one had overs left. Ishant Sharma's quota hadn't finished, but he had bowled the 19th over. Sai Kishore dismissed Ashutosh in that over," Chopra observed.

Sai Kishore registered figures of 0/35 in 1.3 overs in the Gujarat Titans' six-wicket defeat in their IPL 2025 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on April 12. Shubman Gill might not have used the left-arm spinner against Axar Patel as Nicholas Pooran had smashed him for 19 runs, including three sixes, off four deliveries in that game.

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"When Krishna is your charioteer, your success in war is certain" - Aakash Chopra lauds Prasidh Krishna's spell in GT's IPL 2025 win vs DC

Prasidh Krishna picked up a four-wicket haul in GT's IPL 2025 clash against DC. [P/C: iplt20.com]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra lauded Prasidh Krishna (4/41 in four overs) for bowling a potent spell in the Gujarat Titans' IPL 2025 clash against the Delhi Capitals.

"Prasidh Krishna needs to be praised. When Krishna is your charioteer, your success in war is certain. Prasidh Krishna is outstanding. The ball he dismissed KL Rahul with was going straight and swung out slightly in the end. In my opinion, that was the ball of the tournament thus far," he said (17:20).

The analyst also praised Jos Buttler for playing a match-winning knock and wondered why the Rajasthan Royals (RR) released the wicketkeeper-batter ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.

"Rajasthan, how did you let Jos Buttler go? He even plays for you with the Paarl Royals. Buttler is an absolute beast in a run chase. He stays till the end. When Sai Sudharsan got out, I wondered whether things might change, but Sherfane Rutherford also came and hit sixes. In the end, Rahul Tewatia, a six and then a four with a lemon cut," Chopra observed.

Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 97 off 54 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and four sixes. He added 119 runs for the third wicket with Sherfane Rutherford (43 off 34) before Rahul Tewatia (11* off 3) sealed the win with a six and a four off the first two balls of the final over.