“It was just one of those off days” - Shubman Gill backs skipper Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill backed captain Hardik Pandya after the latter failed to take the team over the line against Delhi Capitals (DC) despite scoring an unbeaten half-century. Gill stated that the skipper just had an off day, which can happen to anyone.

Table-toppers Gujarat were stunned by bottom-placed Delhi in match number 44 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, May 2. Chasing 131, GT finished on a disappointing 125/6.

Pandya remained unbeaten on 59 off 53, hitting seven fours. However, he couldn’t score a single boundary in the last four overs of the chase. Backing his skipper, Gill said at the post-match press conference:

“As a player and as a batsman, we are all bound to have one off days. It was just one of those off days. He backed himself to get those runs at the back end. They [Delhi] bowled some yorkers in the end.”

Reflecting on the batting performance, the 23-year-old admitted that the surface was difficult to bat on, but not unplayable. He opined:

“I don’t think the wicket was that bad. We failed to put up partnerships in the top-order which created pressure on the lower-order. In a low-scoring game, when there is too much pressure after a poor start, you try to take it deep and leave it to the last over. It was a tough wicket, but not one on which 130 could not be chased, particularly given the batting order that we have.

“The odd one was stopping on the surface. I think their spinners bowled quite well in the middle overs and they dried up the boundaries.”

Khaleel Ahmed and Ishant Sharma starred for the Delhi Capitals with the ball, claiming two wickets apiece.

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“It was important for them to build the partnership” - Gill on Pandya-Manohar stand

After GT lost four wickets for 32 runs, Pandya and Abhinav Manohar (26) added 62 for the fifth wicket. However, they failed to up the tempo even after getting their eyes in.

Backing the duo, Gill explained that they couldn’t afford to lose another wicket. He elaborated:

“At that point see if one of either Hardik or Abhinav one of the batters would have gotten out, it would have been even more difficult for us. It was important for them to build the partnership, which they did. There were a couple of overs at the end where we couldn’t hit a boundary. With one two boundaries, we would have been over the line.”

Despite the loss to Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans remain on top of the IPL 2023 points table with 12 points and a net run rate of +0.532.