Captain Shubman Gill reflected on his team’s narrow 11-run defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their opening game of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in Ahmedabad.
Gill acknowledged that Gujarat had their moments but failed to capitalize on key phases.
“We got our chances when we were bowling and batting. Too many runs we conceded in the back end of the innings…Those three overs in the middle, we scored around 18 runs. That, and our first three overs we didn’t score many runs. That cost us the game,” he said after the game, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Despite the loss, Gill found positives in his team’s performance.
“Apart from that, many positives for us today. Not easy for someone to come and deliver those yorkers for someone who is on the bench. It’s always a good wicket to bat on here,” he added.
Gujarat Titans will now look to bounce back in their upcoming matches, learning from their mistakes in the season opener.
Coming to the match, after winning the toss, Gujarat elected to bowl first. Punjab’s debutant, Priyansh Arya, gave them a flying start, helping the team reach 50 in just 4.3 overs. Arya played a flyer of 47 off 23 balls, smashing seven boundaries and two sixes before falling to the experienced Rashid Khan, leaving PBKS at 79/2.
Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai made an impact immediately, launching a six off his compatriot Rashid Khan on the very first ball he faced. However, his innings were short-lived as he was dismissed for 16 off 15 balls by Sai Kishore, who struck twice in quick succession by trapping Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck on the very next delivery.
Marcus Stoinis then joined Iyer at the crease, and the duo stitched together a crucial 57-run stand before Sai Kishore claimed his third wicket by dismissing Stoinis for 20.-TIN Bureau
