New Chandigarh, April 1 (IANS) Skipper Shubman Gill admitted that Gujarat Titans (GT) fell short with the bat and in the final overs despite a strong start, after they went down to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by three wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Gill felt the pitch had enough in it for a bigger total, but his side could not capitalise. “I think we bowled overs. Batting, it looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn’t score much in the last 5 overs. Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground,” he said in the post-match presentation.
Gujarat Titans eventually managed 162/6 in their 20 overs despite a flying start from Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who had taken the team to 35/0 in three overs. However, regular wickets in the middle overs, including Gill’s dismissal for 39 and contributions from Jos Buttler (38) and Glenn Phillips (25), prevented them from reaching a bigger total.
Gill also pointed out that conditions slightly eased for batting in the second innings due to rain. “In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions,” he added.
Despite the defeat, the Gujarat skipper praised his bowling unit for keeping the contest alive, especially Prasidh Krishna, who picked up three wickets. “Bowling was good, and we can’t blame them. I could’ve (on delaying Prasidh’s introduction), but he came at the right time, took wickets, and kept us in the game until the 17th and 18th over. All ifs and buts, but he was bowling well in the nets as well,” he said.
Gill also had words of praise for youngster Ashok Sharma, who finished with figures of 1-31, “For Ashok, he works hard on the game, he’s a good find for us. I met him at one of our camps a couple of months ago. He is doing well and I hope he continues to do well,” he noted.
Chasing 163, Punjab Kings rode on debutant Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 72 to reach the target in 19.1 overs, despite a late fightback from Gujarat.
Gill signed off with an encouraging message for his team. “I would say well done, boys. Keep up the effort and keep working hard; always show your talent,” he said.
Gujarat Titans will now face Rajasthan Royals at their home ground, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on Saturday.
–IANS
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