We were 15 short in terms NRR, says Gill; Gaikwad dejected with fielding effort

PTI, May 11, 2024, 8:16 AM IST

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Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill didn’t forget to mention that they were 15 runs short while batting as the net run-rate didn’t witness a quantum leap despite their 35-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match on here Friday.

Gill, who scored 104 off 55 balls, shared a 210-run opening stand with fellow centurion B Sai Sudharsan (103 off 51 balls) in Gujarat’s total of 231 for 3 which could have easily breached the 260-run mark.

In the end, CSK scored 196 and Gujarat’s NRR of improved to -1.063. They have 10 points from 12 games with maximum chance of getting up to 14, which might not be enough for play-off qualification.

“Honestly at one point 250 was for the taking and we fell short. In the last two-three overs they bowled well. I thought we were 10-15 short, not in terms of the match but in terms of net run rate,” Gill said at post-match presentation ceremony.

He left the field early during CSK chase as Rahul Tewatia led the side but he assured one and all that it was mere cramps.

“It’s just a cramp, nothing more.” About his 210 run opening stand with Sudharsan, Gill said that he loved the freedom with which they executed their shots. Gill hit six maximums while Sudharsan had one more to his credit.

“Loved the freeness of it (partnership with Sudharsan), we didn’t have targets in mind, we maximized every over and opportunity in front of us. We have a good camaraderie between us, we run the twos, we understand each other well. In terms of numbers, definitely it is [our best opening partnerships].” On a flat deck, Mohit Sharma’s 3 for 31 was a great effort and Gill did mention the veteran’s performance.

“Mohit bhai has done it for us in the last couple of years and has done it tremendously for us. He was a revelation for us, one or two bad games happen.” Gill’s opposite number Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that road to play-offs is becoming tougher.

“Fielding let us down a little bit, we gave away 10-15 runs. Execution-wise we were good but they played really well. Two batters were exceptional and it’s hard to control runs around the park. Our next game is a day game in Chennai (day after tomorrow), it’s going to be tough against a tough team (Rajasthan Royals),” Gaikwad said.