kumar kushagra is on Gujarat Titans’ radar as a potential playing XI option ahead of the team’s Indian Premier League match against Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with assistant coach Aashish Kapoor outlining a clear condition for selection tied to the top three batters.
What happens when Gujarat Titans’ top three is disrupted—where does Kumar Kushagra fit?
In a pre-match press conference on April 3, Gujarat Titans assistant coach Aashish Kapoor said Kumar Kushagra would be drafted into plans if “something happens to the top three. ” Kapoor’s remarks framed the decision less as a general rotation move and more as a role-specific contingency.
Kapoor also raised a practical question about usage: Kumar Kushagra has produced runs in domestic cricket while batting as an opener or at one-down, but the team must evaluate whether that output translates if he is asked to bat at number six, where the job is often to accelerate immediately and “get the big hits. ” In Kapoor’s framing, it is not simply a matter of talent or form; it is about whether the role being offered matches the player’s established domestic position.
The same comments also pointed to a broader structural issue Gujarat Titans are weighing in this match build-up: the difference between reinforcing the top order versus patching a middle-order slot. Kapoor indicated that the middle order—naming Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, and Glenn Phillips—has been short of runs and form, but suggested that using Kumar Kushagra purely as a fix for that area may not be straightforward if it pulls him away from the positions where he has been most productive.
What if Gujarat Titans prioritize domestic form—what the numbers say about Kumar Kushagra?
Kapoor’s selection logic leaned heavily on role alignment, but the case for Kumar Kushagra is underpinned by specific domestic performances referenced in the pre-match remarks.
Kumar Kushagra played a crucial role in Jharkhand’s maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title win last year, scoring 422 runs in 10 innings at an average of 60. 28 and a strike rate of 161. 68, including four fifties and a best score of 86*.
He followed that with another Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in which he scored 368 runs in six innings at an average of 73. 60 and a strike rate of 102. 50, with two centuries and a fifty.
In the Ranji Trophy, he made 572 runs in 12 innings at an average of 59. 71, including two centuries (including a double century) and a fifty.
Those figures help explain why Gujarat Titans are considering him as a top-order option: they reflect both volume and consistency across formats and match situations, with repeated high scores and strong averages. At the same time, Kapoor’s comments emphasized that domestic excellence alone does not answer the tactical question of where a batter is used in a T20 lineup—particularly if the ask is to bat at number six rather than in the top three.
What if this match becomes a test of depth—how the broader contest frames selection choices?
Gujarat Titans enter the match looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Punjab Kings in their campaign opener. Their opponents, Rajasthan Royals, were described as being powered by a solid pace attack and an ultra-attacking opening batting duo of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Within that context, selection discussions around Kumar Kushagra also reflect a team-management balancing act: keeping the top order stable if available, while still preparing a credible alternative if disruption occurs. Kapoor’s “top three” condition suggests Gujarat Titans are treating continuity at the top as the priority, with Kumar Kushagra positioned as a like-for-like option in the areas of the order that best match his domestic track record.
Kapoor also spoke about Rajasthan pacer Ashok Sharma, describing him as a “terrific talent” and noting that he was not scared of getting hit in T20 cricket and wanted to bowl at any given point in time. Kapoor added that even experienced bowlers can be hit in the format, but emphasized Ashok Sharma’s heart and intent, and said the bowler would learn with time, describing him as “just a young kid” with a “great future. ”
For Gujarat Titans, that assessment of Rajasthan’s pace resources adds another layer to the selection problem: the batting order not only needs runs, it needs clarity of roles against a pace attack that can apply pressure early and often. In that environment, Kapoor’s caution about forcing Kumar Kushagra into a number-six “big hits” assignment reads as a deliberate attempt to avoid misusing a batter whose domestic returns were built higher up the order.
As Gujarat Titans weigh their options for the Royals match in Ahmedabad, the message from the pre-match briefing is precise: the door is open, but it opens under a specific circumstance, and the team’s decision-making will be shaped by whether they can deploy kumar kushagra in a role that reflects his most proven domestic positions.
