IPL 2026: ‘Didn’t do the right thing letting him go’ – Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill’s knock vs KKR

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has lauded Shubman Gill for his innings against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

Chasing a mammoth 248, Gill scored a magnificent 85 off 49 balls in Gujarat Titans’ 29-run loss. He kept his team in the hunt, stitching a 128-run stand with Jos Buttler. His knock included five fours and seven big maximums. Chopra praised Gill, stating that he plays against his former team as if he has a vengeance of sorts.

“I think he sends a reminder that they didn’t do the right thing in letting him go. At that time, I had made a video that KKR’s next captain should be Shubman Gill. However, KKR didn’t think like that, and they let him go,” Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

Gill has a brilliant record against the Knight Riders, having scored 356 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 158.2. In the reverse fixture in Ahmedabad on April 17, Gill was the Player of the Match, scoring a brilliant 86 off 50 balls in a chase of 181.

Chopra further added names of other players like Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav, prominent stars who were released by the Knight Riders in the past. He spoke proudly of Gill’s takedown of the experienced Sunil Narine. 

“They let him and Suryakumar Yadav go, and then Shreyas Iyer also left. It seems slightly personal that he has to thrash this team a little. He was really good the way he played against spin. He took down Sunil Narine. That was phenomenal to watch,” he added.

Gill has scored 552 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 160.46 in IPL 2026. He is just two runs behind the Orange Cap leader and teammate Sai Sudharsan, who also scored a half-century against the Knight Riders.

Despite the loss, the Titans are well placed to make the playoffs, with 16 points in 13 games. They host the Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in their final game of the season on May 21.