Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans suffered a narrow 6-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring IPL clash, but the bigger talking point after the match was the fitness of their regular captain, Shubman Gill. Stand-in skipper Rashid Khan provided some reassurance, saying, “He’s good. Hopefully he’s gonna be alright for the next game. He just had the muscle spasm, so hopefully he’s gonna be alright soon.”Where GT Lost the GameRashid admitted the team started well both with the ball and bat but lost control during a crucial phase. “I felt we have given a great start with the openers. And then I felt in the 12th and 13th overs, we lost back-to-back wickets. That’s something which really put us on the back foot.”He added that the target was achievable but momentum slipped away. “On the wicket like this, 9-10 per over, it’s not that the hard job to be done… but I think we just lost a few early quick wickets… which just didn’t allow us to go on.”Final Over & FightbackChasing 211, Gujarat needed 11 runs in the last over, but Tushar Deshpande held his nerve brilliantly. Rashid revealed the plan was simple: “Well, the discussion was clear, like, we just need to hit one boundary.” However, he credited the bowler, saying, “I think Tushar bowled really well. He bowled some exceptional yorkers.”Rashid also admitted he missed a key chance: “The one ball which he missed his line and length, I should have hit that for six.”Despite the loss, Rashid remained optimistic about the season ahead. “It’s gonna be a long tournament and we learn from it and we come back stronger.”Overall, while Gujarat fell short in a tight finish, the update on Gill’s injury will be a big relief for the team going forward.
