IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Aakash Chopra Weighs In On KKR's Decision To Release Shubman Gill

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra in his recent Youtube video said that it was a mistake from Kolkata Knight Riders to release Shubman Gill ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. Gill was seen as a potential captain for the side and was talked about being a big part of the leadership group. Gill was bought by KKR during the IPL auction for ₹1.8 crore back in 2018. He scored 1,417 runs for the franchise in 58 matches at a strike rate of 123.

After KK released Gill, he was one of the three draft picks by Gujarat Titans. The franchise invested in him keeping in mind that he can be a future captain for the side. Apart from him, Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan are the other two picks of the franchise. 

Aakash Chopra said that KKR needs a long-term captain and the retained players do not give that option to the franchise. They will need to buy a captain at the auction. If Gill had been retained, KKR could have named him the captain ahead of the new season. 

“KKR made some interesting retention choices. Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine all have injury issues, and Venkatesh Iyer has only played ten matches. KKR are the only team that won’t be looking for a leg-spinner. They need a captain, and they should think of a short-term option; don’t think long-term,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

He further said that the franchise now will need to invest a hefty amount of money behind Shreyas Iyer whom they are targeting at the auction. Chopra added saying that franchise needs Indian players in the middle-order and thus suggested the likes of Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi to be brought back by Kolkata. 

KKR Need Indian Batting Depth: Aakash Chopra

“They also need Indian batting depth. Shubman Gill was there; he could have been a future captaincy option as well. You let Shubman Gill go, and I think that was a mistake. They can try to bring back the players they have released like Nitish Rana and Rahul Tripathi. They will bid high for Shreyas Iyer; there is a possibility,” Chopra further said.

The IPL 2022 mega auction will see a total of 600 players go under the hammer across February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. 

Also Read: IPL Auction 2022 Live Streaming: When And Where To Watch IPL Auction 2022 Live In Your Country?