In a match that saw the sixth-highest total in IPL history, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill highlighted three overs in the Powerplay and three more in the final stages as the key moments where his team lost the game. They fell short by 12 runs in their chase of 244 against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad.
After 14 overs, GT still needed 75 runs off 36 balls with eight wickets remaining. With Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford in good form, PBKS were under pressure. However, Vijaykumar Vyshak, brought in as the Impact Sub, gave away just 10 runs in the 15th and 17th overs, with Marco Jansen also bowling a tight 16th over. By the end of this three-over period, GT needed 57 runs from 18 balls.
“I think those three middle overs cost us the game. We scored about 18 runs, and in the first three overs, we only scored 17,” Gill said. “So, those six overs where we made around 30-40 runs were a big factor. But apart from that, there were many positives, and it was a good start to the tournament for us.”
GT would also look back at their last eight overs with the ball, where they gave away 135 runs. Shreyas Iyer and Shashank Singh added 81 runs in an unbroken stand off just 28 balls. Iyer finished unbeaten on 97, while Shashank scored 44 off 16 balls. The final over from Mohammed Siraj gave away 23 runs.
“We had our chances both with the bat and ball,” Gill said. “We gave away too many runs towards the end. We also let ourselves down in the field with some dropped catches and misfields. Chasing 240-250 is always tough if you drop catches.”
Shreyas Iyer plays a shot in the IPLGill was full of praise for Vyshak’s impact as a substitute player. Vyshak bowled three consecutive overs from the 15th over onward, focusing on bowling wide yorkers to avoid the batters’ hitting range, a challenging task with the dew making conditions tricky. Vyshak gave away just 28 runs in his three overs.
“It’s not easy coming in as an impact player and delivering those yorkers,” Gill said. “It’s tough for someone who’s been on the bench for almost 15 overs, but credit to him for executing those yorkers well.”
Arshdeep Singh, who took 2 for 36 in four overs, shared the plan Vyshak followed.
“The idea was simple – make them hit to the off side,” Arshdeep said. “It’s not easy to hit there. If they play a good shot, just clap and execute the next one. I’m really happy for him, he’s been working hard in practice, and it showed in the game. The plan was if you miss, miss wide, not on the stumps. It can slip a bit with dew, but even if it’s a full toss, it’s tough for them to hit because it’s far from their reach.”
Arshdeep also praised PBKS’s batters for setting a solid foundation and maintaining the same tempo throughout the innings. “There’s no fixed par score – 240-250-260, just score as much as you can and then try to defend it,” he said.
