Aakash Chopra flags Gujarat Titans’ top-order reliance, Buttler’s poor form ahead of IPL 2026

New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out the Gujarat Titans' overdependence on their top-order with the bat and star batter Jos Buttler's poor form as one of the weaknesses ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
Gujarat Titans reached the IPL 2025 playoffs but faced a defeat at the hands of the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator clash. One of the overarching reasons for the Titans' journey to the playoffs was Sai Sudharsan (759), Shubman Gill (650) and Jos Buttler's (538) form with the bat.
Speaking on his YouTube video, Aakash Chopra said the Gujarat Titans rely too heavily on their top three batters. He explained that while the strategy worked last season, when the top order often batted until the 14th or 15th over, and at least one batter should stay till the 15th.
"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," Chopra said.
Chopra also expressed concern about Jos Buttler's poor form, calling it "pedestrian" compared to his past performances. He warned that if Buttler's struggles continue, it could become a problem for the Gujarat Titans, as the team cannot rely on both openers to score runs in every match.
Notably, Buttler only scored 87 runs in eight matches at the recently concluded ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 edition, which was held in India and Sri Lanka.
"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," the former Indian cricketer added.
Gujarat Titans will kickstart their IPL 2026 campaign on March 31 against Punjab Kings at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh. (ANI)