Simon Doull opined that Rahul Tewatia is well past his prime and the Gujarat Titans would be better served if they replace him with Sai Kishore. His statement comes ahead of the Titans' clash against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 8.
Doull highlighted that Tewatia doesn't bowl nowadays and is decent on the field. However, bringing Kishore into the lineup will provide a similar batting resource with better bowling and fielding abilities.
"They are carrying Rahul Tewatia.
I won't even say he is a luxury at No.7 because he is not. He is a safety net that might be okay to get you some runs. He doesn't bowl anymore and is just okay in the field. With all due respect, his time is past in my opinion. You get a Sai Kishore in there, as he gives you a bit more. Getting him in for Tewatia allows your batting to be similar, but it gives you a bowling option and a jet in the field," Doull said on Cricbuzz.
After losing back-to-back games at the start of the campaign, former India pacer Zaheer Khan suggested a couple of changes that the Shubman Gill-led side could ponder.
"Washington Sundar is the one place they can look at. If they say Washi is not firing with the bat and they need some bowling option, they can bring in Sai Kishore. They can look at Ashok Sharma if they want to drop a seamer to get Sai Kishore in. If they want to create two spaces, then maybe Glenn Phillips goes out, and Jason Holder comes in. Holder could also come in place of Rabada," Zaheer said.
Doull suggested a couple of changes in the Gujarat side, with Jason Holder coming in for Kagiso Rabada, and Kishore replacing Tewatia.
"Holder should come in place of Rabada. That deepens your batting again. Kishore and Holder in, and Rabada and Tewatia out would be the way. You give the rest of the middle order one more opportunity," Doull stated.
"He is the important cog in their lineup" - Zaheer Khan on Glenn Phillips
Zaheer Khan said that Glenn Phillips is a vital part of the Gujarat line-up as the team is expecting a lot from him, especially after trading Sherfane Rutherford to the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026. The 47-year-old added that Jason Holder might be brought into the side if Gujarat hit the panic button and leave Phillips out. In the first two games, the Kiwi all-rounder has only managed 28 runs and hasn't been used with the ball.
"He (Phillips) is the important cog in their lineup. They've invested in him and traded Rutherford for him to play in the 11. They have massive expectations of him. If they hit the panic button, maybe Holder will come in," said Zaheer (via the aforementioned source).
