Aakash Chopra revealed that Gautam Gambhir believes Shubman Gill should reduce his IPL workload if he feels overburdened by his packed cricket schedule.
India enter the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati needing a win, but much of the focus remains on Shubman Gill’s neck injury. The injury ruled him out of the match after he suffered a spasm during the Kolkata Test. This marks his second neck-related setback in just over a year. It has raised questions about his workload as he captains India in Tests and ODIs and leads Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
The discussion around workload management increased this week, with Aakash Chopra sharing Gautam Gambhir’s stance on the matter. Gambhir believes players who feel overburdened should consider reducing their commitments in the IPL, as national duties demand full fitness and mental clarity.
“I asked this question to Gautam before the Test match against the West Indies. His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL. If you don’t want to lead because leading the IPL team puts too much pressure, then don’t lead. And while playing for India, if you are fit, you are not mentally fatigued,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra Backs In-Form Batters to Play Continuously
Aakash Chopra then opined that in-form batters usually prefer playing continuously, and he feels Shubman Gill should do the same as long as there are no fitness or mental-fatigue concerns.
“And as a batter, I can also second the opinion that when you are going through a good form, you really want to maximise. Because you never know when the bad form hits you and where the next one is going to come from. So, if there is no fitness concern per se and if there is no mental burnout concern that is very individual-specific, you stay with them and you play as much as you can, as often as you can,” Chopra said.
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With Gill ruled out of the Guwahati Test due to his neck issue, India must now choose between B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, or returning all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to fill the vacant top-order spot for the must-win match.
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