New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra was not happy with Shubman Gill’s captaincy after Gujarat Titans (GT) suffered a three-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 played at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

PBKS defeated the 2022 champions by three wickets after chasing down a 163-run target in 19.1 overs. While the Shubman Gill-led side posed as a threat and kept adding pressure, Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 44-ball 72-run knock sealed the deal for the Punjab-based franchise as they opened their campaign on a high.

According to Chopra Gill’s bowling plans were confusing and their prime bowler Mohammad Siraj’s two overs still pending after the match finished is a example of the mismanagement. Chopra also believes that Prasidh Krishna, who took three crucial wickets, should have been brought in early in the game.

“The bowling plans were puzzling. Siraj still had two overs left when the game was almost done, and Prasidh Krishna was brought in quite late. Overall, Shubman Gill’s captaincy also left a bit to be desired,” Chopra told Jio Hotstar.

He also raised concerns about the heavy reliance on top-order batters as the middle and the lower order are not scoring the required runs for the Gujarat Titans.

“For Gujarat Titans, the top three will have to fire because they are not giving themselves the opportunity to figure out a different way. Not many would believe it, but Glenn Phillips’ 25 is actually his highest score in the IPL so far. You would want him to contribute more consistently, and Washington Sundar also needs to score at a quicker rate because he seemed a bit stuck,” he said.

“They have continued with Shahrukh Khan, but I felt Kumar Kushagra also had a case for selection. GT need to rethink how their 4, 5, and 6 are structured,” he added.

Chopra advised Punjab Kings to be happy with the two points and not think much about the batting collapse during the chase, where the team lost four wickets in just four overs as at the end only points matter. According to the former opener, it is better to learn with a win than a loss.

“This is their sixth consecutive season where they have won their opening game. In a tournament like the IPL, you don’t overthink the two points you’ve earned, you take them and move on. There will always be learnings, but it’s far better to learn after a win than after a loss. The positives were plenty, especially with the bowling, it was spot on,” he said.

“The captaincy was outstanding as well, using just five bowlers and rotating them smartly. Cooper Connolly, a young Australian batter, came in and took centre stage to guide the team home. Yes, they could have finished the game earlier, but in the end, it’s the two points that matter. By the end of the season, people will only talk about points and net run-rate, not how you got them,” he added.

–IANS

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