Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 26 : Gujarat Titans (GT) 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.
Punjab reached the 200-run mark in 17.4 overs, with Iyer and Shashank Singh accelerating towards the end. Their explosive 81-run partnership propelled PBKS to a massive total. While Iyer remained unbeaten on 97, Shashank played a fiery cameo, scoring 44 off just 16 deliveries, finishing the innings in style by attacking Mohammed Siraj in the final over.
For Gujarat, Sai Kishore was the standout bowler with three wickets, while Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada picked up one wicket each. However, all of the GT bowlers endured a tough outing against Punjab's aggressive batting.
Gujarat got off to a strong start, with openers Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill putting together a 61-run stand. However, Glenn Maxwell provided Punjab with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Gill for 33.
Sudharsan continued to dominate, playing a blistering knock of 74 off 41 balls, which included five fours and six sixes. However, his innings was cut short by left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, leaving Gujarat at 145/2 in 12.3 overs.
Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford then built a 54-run partnership, keeping Gujarat in the hunt. Buttler reached his half-century but was bowled for 54 by Marco Jansen. Rahul Tewatia followed but managed only six runs before being run out.
With Gujarat still needing quick runs, Rutherford fought valiantly till the end, scoring 46 off 28 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. However, Arshdeep Singh struck again, dismissing him to put Punjab on the brink of victory.
Arshdeep was the standout bowler for Punjab, finishing with figures of 2/36 in his four overs. Jansen and Maxwell chipped in with a wicket each, helping Punjab Kings secure their first win in the tournament.