‘Is it just because Shubman Gill is the captain?’ – Aakash Chopra on the plethora of GT players in India’s playing XI in Test vs Afghanistan

Aakash Chopra and Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: Sports18/IPL)

Aakash Chopra shared his views on a section of Indian cricket fans questioning the selectors for picking a plethora of Gujarat Titans’ players in India’s Test squad for the one-off game against Afghanistan. Some fans opined that captain Shubman Gill, who is also the captain of the Titans, is the reason why so many players from the franchise are getting chances in the Indian team.

While Chopra understands that viewpoint, he said people should also ask which players should have been picked instead of those from the Titans.

“I also saw many memes about that, which included why Kagiso Rabada was left out, and that he could have also been picked, or what Kuldeep Yadav was doing in the bowling scorecard in a Gujarat Titans match. I know what kind of feeling there is, as to why so many Gujarat players are playing, and is it just because Shubman Gill is the captain?” Chopra responded.

“So whoever plays for Gujarat under his captaincy is selected early for India. I understand that one gets a feeling like that, but who would you have picked in their place is always the question you must ask,” he added.

Chopra said that Gujarat Titans’ players who featured in the Test match, like Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, and Sai Sudharsan, would have been picked in the side even if KL Rahul had been the captain instead of Shubman.

“Should Washington Sundar not have been selected? He should have been selected. Manav Suthar has justified his selection. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, again, no questions asked. Sai Sudharsan was a part of the team from before. If you look at it from that perspective, you say their names would have come in any case, whether Shubman Gill or KL Rahul had been the captain,” he observed.

“When MS Dhoni was the captain, we saw many CSK players playing” – Aakash Chopra

Chopra also mentioned that during the captaincy reigns of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, they preferred to pick players from their respective IPL franchises.

“This used to happen in CSK’s era as well. When MS Dhoni was the captain, we saw many CSK players playing, but there were many players who were actually match-winners. After that, whether you see in Virat Kohli’s captaincy or Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, there is one thing for sure,” he said.

The former India batter said that captains tend to prefer selecting players whom they know can perform in tough conditions.

“Whoever you see closely and see repeatedly, it is not a bias, but you see them flourishing even if the circumstances are bad, you know very well how they handle pressure, and you start admiring their skills a little more because they have been in front of you for a very long time. So it does happen,” Chopra observed.

The cricketer-turned-expert also mentioned that after Gautam Gambhir joined the Indian team as head coach following a successful stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders, several players from the franchise were picked for the national team. Chopra stressed that trust plays a key role in such situations.

“In fact, when Gambhir was KKR’s coach, after that, we saw many KKR players becoming a part of the T20 setup as soon as he became the coach. So familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt. Familiarity also breeds trust. In my opinion, it’s a matter of trust,” he noted.

Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.