Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill said his side never aimed to drag the contest deep, but he was pleased to come away with two points against top-ranked Punjab Kings in an IPL 2026 encounter on Sunday. After bowling PBKS out for 163/9, Gujarat saw Punjab reach 167 with one ball remaining, sealing the result with a narrow finish.
Key takeaways
- Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill felt the chase was never suited to being forced in the final overs.
- Punjab Kings posted 163/9 before finishing on 167 off the chase with one ball left.
- Gill pointed to the length and match-up situation, crediting the batter selection and execution.
- Shreyas Iyer believed 163 was a defendable total, despite Gujarat putting pressure throughout.
- Punjab’s skipper cited early-ball movement and powerplay wicket losses as key turning points.
Gill’s take on the chase and the wicket
Speaking after the match, Gill said Gujarat would have preferred not to extend the game into the later stages, but the result mattered most. He added that the pitch wasn’t the kind of surface where a side can safely chase targets in the 15–16 over window, especially when a batter is well set.
Gill also noted that the ball didn’t consistently offer the same sort of length looks, which made it harder to generate immediate breakthroughs. He highlighted that once the right batter settled, the task became more about game state and matchups—particularly when left-hand batters were involved.
He further explained that the situation on the day demanded patience and the ability to bat through, before adding that “Washy” played a decisive role in finishing the job.
Iyer disappointed, but still upbeat about the table
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer admitted to being slightly dejected, saying he felt 163 was a total his team could defend. He pointed out that the new ball behaved a bit early on, and that Gujarat’s bowlers made strong use of the conditions by hitting the deck effectively.
Iyer also reflected on Punjab’s own progress during the innings, saying they lost four wickets during the powerplay period. Despite that, he felt reaching 160 from that phase was a remarkable effort, underscoring how hard Punjab fought even after early setbacks.
However, he felt the bowling plan after the new ball didn’t go as intended. In his view, the side wasn’t able to land the right line and length consistently, which meant they couldn’t turn pressure into wickets at the crucial moments. He praised Gujarat’s work ethic and approach while noting that Punjab missed on targeting the harder lengths on the wicket.
Iyer added that striking over midwicket wasn’t straightforward because the surface offered variable bounce, making shot selection more demanding than usual.
Summing up the day, the Punjab skipper said the team fell short in execution. Even so, he emphasized that Punjab remain at the top of the table, and that there were still positives to take from the character shown by the bowlers—particularly their desire to win—despite the match not going their way.
Looking ahead, Iyer expressed excitement for the next opportunity in Hyderabad, noting that the team has been putting in hard work. He concluded that when the mindset stays high and the attitude is right, results eventually follow.
