Kamal Ghorui
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill admitted his side would have preferred a smoother chase but was pleased to walk away with two crucial points after a tense win over Punjab Kings.Chasing 164 on a slow surface, GT were pushed deep into the final over before sealing a four-wicket victory, thanks to a composed 57 from Sai Sudharsan and a finishing burst from Washington Sundar.Reflecting on the chase, Gill said the conditions never allowed for an easy run-chase. “In chases like these, we would have liked to not take it as deep as it went but two crucial points. This is not the kind of wicket where we’ll chase in 15-16 overs,” he explained. The skipper revealed that the team had aimed to finish slightly earlier but understood the nature of the pitch. “We thought maybe one or two overs before… that was the talk.”Gill highlighted the importance of set batters going deep, especially on a surface where stroke-making wasn’t straightforward. “It’s not easy to hit from ball one. Length balls weren’t coming on as they do on other wickets. It was important for the batter who is set,” he said.That role was executed perfectly by Sudharsan, who anchored the innings with a measured knock, before Sundar stepped up under pressure in the closing stages. “Luckily we had Washi and he finished the game for us,” Gill added.The GT captain also shed light on the team’s tactical call to send left-handers in succession during the chase. “We just sent the best batter that we thought in that situation,” he noted, underlining the flexibility in their approach.Earlier in the match, GT’s pacers had laid the foundation by reducing PBKS to 47 for five, with Jason Holder returning outstanding figures of 4/24 alongside key contributions from Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada.With the win, Gujarat Titans moved to 12 points, staying firmly in the playoff race, while also showcasing their ability to adapt to challenging conditions and close out tight games.
