Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has opined that Shubman Gill will have a great opportunity to prove his mettle in IPL 2026. Chopra said Gill is currently way out of the race for India’s T20I team with top-order batters like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Abhishek Sharma performing consistently.
Furthermore, batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, Gill scored 650 runs in 15 matches of IPL 2025 and played a key role in taking the Gujarat Titans to the playoffs. Gill was named as India’s T20I vice-captain after the England tour but could not grab his opportunity and was dropped ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“There are multiple opportunities. Could this be the season in which Shubman Gill rejoins the T20I race? Let’s be very honest, he is way out of the race at the moment. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are playing at the moment, and Ishan Kishan is there with them,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is sitting outside and Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be breathing down his neck at some stage. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also there. So could this be the 700-800-run season in which he also plays a slightly different brand of cricket? That is something that Shubman Gill can do,” he added.
On the other hand, Chopra said Sundar has an opportunity to show his all-around capabilities. Sundar was part of the T20 World Cup team but could not deliver in couple of opportunities he received.
“Secondly, I am thinking about Washington Sundar. He has been with teams for so many years, and he has been sold very expensively many times, but he has never been used properly. Could this be that season? I am expecting a slightly bigger role for him. You might see him at No. 4 or No. 5. When he has a bigger role in batting, you will expect a lot more from him in bowling,” he observed.
The renowned commentator said Sai Kishore and Sai Sudharsan will also look to deliver consistent performances. Sudharsan was picked in India’s Test team on the back of an impressive run in IPL 2025 but he hasn’t yet nailed his place.
“Thirdly, can Sai Kishore do so well that he establishes his name in the left-arm orthodox spinner’s place? It’s true for Sai Sudharsan and Sai Kishore because Sai Sudharsan’s name came in Tests on the back of IPL performances, but he has been in and out in Tests. There are questions. So one more good season, and Sai Sudharsan and Sai Kishore will just stake a claim for themselves,” he said.
“Can they reach the playoffs once again? If you have reached the playoffs thrice in four years, played the final twice, and lifted the trophy once, this is perhaps the most successful team in the history of the IPL at this point in time. They are the best if we see the four-year sample size, but can they replicate that?” Chopra observed.
Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on 31st March.
