"Good powerplay could have made it chasable": Shubman Gill reflects on GT's heavy defeat against RCB
Dharamsala, May 27
Shubman Gill reflected that the Gujarat Titans fell short against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru mainly because they couldn't make full use of the Powerplay after his side faced a 92-run defeat in Qualifier 1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
Gill pointed out that the pitch and outfield were excellent for batting, and a strong opening start would have made the big chase realistic.
A magnificent spell from the pacers and a sensational knock from skipper Rajat Patidar guided defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second consecutive IPL final, as they defeated Gujarat Titans by 92 runs at Dharamsala on Tuesday.
"I mean, it's all about getting a good start. If you get a good power play, and on a ground like this, we know the ball travels, and the outfield is also very quick. So if you had gotten off to a good start in the power play, any target with the kind of way the wicket was playing and the kind of ground that we were playing at, it could have been chaseable," Shubman Gill said after the match.
Gill also said he was not surprised by how the pitch behaved. He felt GT were in a good position until around the 12th-13th over while bowling in the first inning, but pointed out that poor fielding, missed catches, and below-par ground fielding cost them momentum and contributed to the defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
"(Surprised with the way the pitch behaved?) I mean, not really. I think we were going pretty well up until the 12th, 13th over, and I don't think our fielding was at par, dropping a couple of catches, and then our ground fielding was not up to the mark," he added.
With this win, RCB will be taking a shot at their second successive IPL title. GT, despite their loss, will get a chance at redemption as they will play the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Gujarat Titans (GT) eliminator for the second final spot in the Qualifier two on Friday.
RCB put on 254/5 on the back of fiery performances from skipper Rajat Patidar (93* in 33 balls, with five fours and nine sixes), Virat Kohli (43 in 25 balls, with five fours and a six) and Krunal Pandya (43 in 28 balls, with five fours and two sixes).
In the chase, GT's batting fell like a pack of cards, with Rahul Tewatia (68 in 43 balls, with eight fours and four sixes) and Jos Buttler (29 in 11 balls, with three fours and two sixes) being the only ones crossing the 20-run mark as GT skittled out for 162 runs.
Jacob Duffy (3/39) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/28) broke through GT's consistent top-order, and it was only downwards for the Titans from there.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Missed catches cost them big time! In a knockout game, you can't afford that. RCB's batting was just too good though. Patidar played a knock for the ages! 🔥
Fair analysis from Gill. The powerplay is crucial, and Gill himself got out early. But let's give credit where it's due—RCB's bowling was sharp, and that pitch was a belter. GT's fielding though... subpar, no excuses.
Also a bit disappointed with GT's bowling changes. They let Patidar settle when they needed wickets. But yeah, 255 is a mountain unless you have a flying start. Still, good effort from Tewatia at the end—never say die attitude! 💪
I've watched a lot of IPL, and this chase was always going to be tough. What GT needed was a blitzkrieg start like Buttler provided, but once he was gone, it was game over. Gill's point about fielding is spot on—those dropped catches were momentum killers.
Honestly, RCB were just too good. Patidar's innings was unreal. But I feel for GT—they've had a great season. Hope they bounce back in Qualifier 2. Lessons learned: fielding matters, and powerplay is everything. On to the next! ⚡
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