Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra believes Gujarat Titans won’t release their talismanic spinner – Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan leg-spinner had an underwhelming season for the Titans, taking nine wickets in 15 matches at an average of 57.11 and an economy rate of 9.34.
Furthermore, Kagiso Rabada could only take two wickets in four matches at an average of 81 and an economy rate of 11.57 but Chopra said GT won’t release the South African pacer.
“I think they will not change anything. They will not let go of anyone. Everyone knows that the top three score all the runs and there are slight problems from No. 4 to No. 6, Rashid Khan hasn’t been in that good form, and Kagiso Rabada hasn’t really pulled his weight in the side,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“However, what will you change? You cannot change anything. What will you gain by releasing and reacquiring anyone? You are not going to release Rashid, although Rashid is the most expensive, and if you look at players who have performed the least, you feel it’s Rashid Khan,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
The renowned commentator noted that Khan is a match-winner on his day and the Titans won’t release him after one bad season.
“However, he is Rashid. You ask karamati Khan to stay even if he has one or two bad years because the day he performs, he will win you the match. Even when he was not performing well this season, when he performed in one match, he won them that match. So he has got that kind of quality and pedigree,” he observed.
Chopra said GT won’t release players like Sherfane Rutherford, Arshad Khan, Washington Sundar and Sai Kishore, who all performed decently for the franchise.
“You will keep Sherfane Rutherford as well. What will you gain by releasing him? Then, whether it’s Sai Kishore or Arshad Khan, they have also done decently. I am saying Washington Sundar has also done decently whenever he has gotten a chance,” he said.
“There is no need to talk about Sai Sudharsan. Whether you talk about Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna or Shubman Gill, what will you change? In my opinion, Gujarat won’t change anything. They need a little solidity in the middle order. They will try to get that, but I doubt that they will let people go,” Chopra observed.
GT’s IPL 2025 season ended after they suffered a loss against the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator.
