Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concern over Shubman Gill’s captaincy following Gujarat Titans’ defeat to Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match at Mullanpur on 31 March. On his YouTube channel, Chopra criticized the team management and Gill’s tactical decisions during the run, particularly questioning the late introduction of pacer Prasid.
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 attacked Gill during the on-field call, asking if it contributed to Gujarat’s collapse in Mullanpur on Tuesday night.
Read the full article
| PBKS vs GT, IPL 2026: Highlights | Scorecard |
Asked to bat first, Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans set a target of 163 for Punjab Kings at what looked to be a bit tricky 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 brought into the attack until the later stages, when the match was all but lost.
“What happened to Shubman Gill’s captaincy? I am asking this question because Prasidh Krishna was playing but you didn’t bowl him at all. 12 overs passed, the opposition almost won the match, then you brought in Prasidh Krishna. He took three wickets in three overs and the game became slightly tense, but what is the point?” said Aakash Chopra.
Chopra also questioned Gujarat Titans’ team mix and the decision to keep Prasidh Krishna on the Impact Player list instead of including him directly in the playing XI.
“Firstly, he was kept on 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 be available to you at all. What do you think?” he added.
WHY SET PRASIDH AS AN IMPACT PLAYER?
As soon as Prasidh Krishna was introduced, he made an immediate impact and almost changed the course of the game. He dismissed PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer with his 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 three overs.
Another important point for Chopra was the underutilization of Mohammed Siraj, who had two overs to spare but was not given his full quota despite the match getting away.
“Then Mohammed Siraj had two overs left. You showed confidence in Ashok Sharma, which is perfectly fine, but Siraj was there. There was a lot left to ask from captain Shubman Gill. I am speechless. Why was Prasidh Krishna held back for so long? Why didn’t Siraj get his full quota of overs?”
Despite a late burst of wickets that briefly added excitement, Punjab Kings chased down the target of 163 runs. With the loss, Gujarat Titans have a clean sheet that currently stands at -0.509 after the first away game of the season.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
01 April 2026 15:25 IST
