Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concerns over Shubman Gill’s captaincy following Gujarat Titans’ defeat to Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League clash at Mullanpur on March 31. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra criticised the team management and Gill’s tactical decisions during the run chase, particularly questioning the delayed introduction of pacer Prasidh Krishna.

Krishna, who won the Purple Cap in the last edition of the IPL, was brought into the attack only in the 13th over during a low-scoring chase. Chopra hit out at Gill over the on-field call and questioned whether it contributed to Gujarat’s downfall in Mullanpur on Tuesday night.

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Asked to bat first, the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans set a target of 163 for Punjab Kings on what appeared to be a slightly tricky pitch in New Chandigarh. GT made an early impact by dismissing opener Priyansh Arya in the second over.

Chopra pointed out that despite Prasidh Krishna being available, he was not introduced into the attack until the latter stages, by which time the match had nearly slipped away.

“What has happened to Shubman Gill’s captaincy? I ask this question because Prasidh Krishna was playing, but you weren’t bowling him at all. 12 overs had passed, the opposing team had almost won the match, then you brought in Prasidh Krishna. He took three wickets in three overs and the game became slightly thrilling, but what’s the point?” Aakash Chopra said.

Chopra also questioned Gujarat Titans’ team combination and the decision to keep Prasidh Krishna in the Impact Player list instead of including him directly in the playing XI.

“Firstly, he was kept in the impact player list. Why would you do that? Ashok Sharma was in the XI. If you were 50/5 and had to bring in an impact sub, and you sent Kumar Kushagra, Prasidh Krishna wouldn’t have been available to you at all. How do you think like this?” he added.

WHY PUT PRASIDH AS IMPACT PLAYER?

Once introduced, Prasidh Krishna made an immediate impact and nearly changed the course of the game. He dismissed PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer with his very first delivery and later picked up two more crucial wickets, removing Shashank Singh and Marcus Stoinis.

A flurry of wickets briefly put Punjab under pressure as they slipped from 110/2 to 118/6 in the space of three overs.

Another major talking point for Chopra was the underutilisation of Mohammed Siraj, who still had two overs remaining but was not given his full quota despite the match slipping away.

“After that, Mohammed Siraj’s two overs were left. You were showing confidence in Ashok Sharma, which is absolutely fine, but Siraj was there. There was a lot left to be desired in Shubman Gill’s captaincy. I am at a loss for words. Why was Prasidh Krishna held back for so long? Why wasn’t Siraj given his full quota of overs?”

Despite the late burst of wickets that briefly added excitement, Punjab Kings chased down the 163-run target. With the loss, Gujarat Titans took a hit to their Net Run Rate, which currently stands at -0.509 after their first away game of the season.

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