Kamal Ghorui
Shubman Gill struck a calm and reflective tone after leading Gujarat Titans to a dominant 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, even as his side produced one of their most complete performances of the season. Gill, who scored a superb 84 off 44 balls and shared a 118-run opening stand with Sai Sudharsan, said the team is still searching for a “perfect match”. “Yeah, definitely, even before this match, we had a conversation that till now I don’t think we had a perfect match. So very happy. I think this was a clean win for us,” he said. Despite GT posting 229/4 and later bowling RR out for 152, Gill felt there was still room for improvement. “I think we got above maybe 10-15 runs extra on the board. We thought there was a little bit in for the spinners in the middle. It wasn’t easy to hit sixes or get the boundaries,” he explained. Gill also highlighted the importance of partnerships and game awareness on a tricky surface. “We thought let’s keep the wickets in hand and try to bat deep… There was a phase where we didn’t get the boundary in the 17th, 18th over, but I think we covered it well in the last over,” he said. The GT captain stressed the team’s aggressive bowling philosophy, especially in the powerplay. “We believe it’s important to hold the fort up front… the only way to contain the other team is if you keep picking up wickets. There is no other way,” Gill said. He also confirmed a minor injury scare during the innings. “I think I just twisted my ankle a little bit while taking the run. It was quite painful, but after half an hour it settled down,” he added. With GT now on four straight wins and climbing the table, Gill said the focus remains on consistency rather than perfection. “Very happy. Now the next game is at home. Hopefully we’re going to have another good match,” he said.
