Kolkata, April 22 (IANS) After leading Gujarat Titans’ (GT) to a clinical 39-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) through an excellent 55-ball 90, skipper Shubman Gill said his chat with opening partner B Sai Sudharsan was just about finding ways to score runs in challenging conditions and aiming to take the game deep.
At the Eden Gardens on Monday, Gill shared a 114-run opening partnership with Sudharsan, who hit 52 off 36 balls and became the tournament’s new leading run-getter, as GT posted 198/3 and then restricted KKR to 159/8, as they maintained their top ranking on the points table.
“Very pleased. We spoke about these two matches – that they’re going to decide where we stand on the table. Very pleased to get these two wins back to back. We just want to play our best game whenever we’re out there. We never talk about that one of us has to stay till the end.”
“We just talk about how we can score runs in these conditions and how to take the game deep. We were ahead in the game, but it’s one thing to be ahead and another to close the game. In this format it’s difficult to have a perfect game.”
“There will always be some areas. Like today as well – we could’ve got 10 runs more had I stayed there. And a couple of unforced errors in the bowling. But the main thing is even if you’re not playing the perfect game, you’ve to find a way to win, and that’s what we’re really good at,” said Gill in the post-match presentation ceremony.
With KKR losing successive games for the first time in IPL 2025, captain Ajinkya Rahane admitted that 199 was chaseable and rued the openers’ inability to give good starts. In IPL 2025, KKR’s openers are yet to record a 50-run opening partnership.
“I thought 199 was chaseable, we came back into the game really well with the ball. You expect good opening starts, but that’s what we’re struggling with throughout the tournament. But we need to learn as quickly as possible. The pitch was a little slow, but when we were bowling we thought something below 210 or 200 would be good.”
KKR lost four wickets in the middle overs, an aspect which Rahane pointed out in his post-game assessment. “We need to bat better, especially in the middle overs. We need better opening starts, no complaints from our bowlers. We have quality batters in the middle order especially, I back them but you have to be brave. Good to see Angkrish batting really well. Today was a situation we wanted to push the other batters up.”
“This format is about being brave as a batter, you can’t think too much about the past, just learn from the mistakes and take your chances, have a positive mindset. If you think about getting out, you will get out. Instead you should think about scoring runs or hitting boundaries.”
KKR also had lapses in their fielding and Rahane conceded a tighter performance there would have helped them. “Every game they’re improving. Yes, fielding is something in our control, if you can save 15-20 runs that’s always better. It’s all about attitude, but the guys are working hard.”
R Sai Kishore, GT’s left-arm spinner, said the pitch had enough help for them and lauded Rashid Khan for taking 2-25. “There was enough purchase in the wicket, in the second innings even more. That total was very good to defend. I tried to change the angles (against Russell) a little so that the deviations were different every time, the situation was good enough for me to attack.”
“He’s (Rashid Khan) one of the best T20 bowlers in the world and he’s getting his wicket-taking knack back. We always back him, not sure what’s said in the commentary box but he’s the best T20 bowler in the world. Our fielding was very good today, we’re addressing things to get better.”
–IANS
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