Kamal Ghorui
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted key concerns for the Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2026 season, pointing to their reliance on the top-order and star batter Jos Buttler’s lacklustre form as potential trouble spots.The Titans reached the IPL 2025 playoffs but fell to the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. Their success last season largely stemmed from standout performances by Sai Sudharsan (759 runs), Shubman Gill (650), and Jos Buttler (538).In a recent YouTube video, Chopra explained that Gujarat’s batting strategy leans heavily on the top three. “What are their weaknesses? They can be called weaknesses or challenges. A slight overdependence is still seen on the top three. It’s great if they replicate what they did last year, which means the top three together bat till the 14th or 15th over, and at least one of them should 100 per cent be there till the 15th over. You should only be one down by the 14th or 15th over,” he said.Chopra also flagged Jos Buttler’s recent struggles, calling his form “pedestrian” compared to his past standards. He stressed that if Buttler continues to falter, it could pose problems for the Titans, as both openers cannot be expected to consistently carry the scoring load.“However, the truth is that Jos Buttler’s current form is very, very pedestrian. We have not seen Jos Buttler playing more ordinary than this in any World Cup edition. He was seen struggling in good conditions this time. So will that be a bit of an issue for the Gujarat Titans? You want to start with Jos Buttler, but what if the form isn’t good? Both openers can’t score runs every time,” Chopra added.Buttler’s poor run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, held in India and Sri Lanka, saw him accumulate just 87 runs across eight matches.Gujarat Titans are set to begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 31, facing Punjab Kings at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
