Shubman Gill was quick to identify the turning point for Gujarat Titans after their five-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (2026) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. “Definitely. From the 16th to the 19th—those three overs—we couldn’t hit any boundaries. Those spells were crucial for us. At the end of the Powerplay, we were in a good position. We needed to take wickets,” Gill said.
The Gujarat captain also reflected on the pressure created by fielding moments and the importance of responding when events don’t go your way. “When a batter gets dropped on nought, it’s always tough on the fielder. But it’s about how you come back into the game. We had our moments, but we weren’t able to hit the right lengths consistently, which was important. Still, they batted really well during the middle overs,” he added.
The missed opportunity Gill referred to proved costly, as Virat Kohli went on to make the most of it. Kohli struck a commanding 81 off 44 balls to put RCB firmly in command during the chase. Alongside him, Devdutt Padikkal delivered a brilliant 55 off 27, striking through the middle overs and breaking the rhythm of the Titans’ bowling attack.
That partnership kept RCB ahead of the required rate, even as Gujarat searched for control and tried to bring the scoring under pressure. Gill acknowledged that the pitch offered some assistance, particularly with Krunal Pandya’s deliveries. “When we were batting, the balls that Krunal bowled, it was gripping a bit. I thought if we could get a few wickets, we would come back in the game,” Gill said.
Earlier in the day, Gujarat Titans had built a strong platform with a total of 205/3. Sai Sudharsan anchored the innings with a superb century—100 off 58 balls—and reached the milestone to become the fastest batter to 2000 IPL runs. Gill and Jos Buttler also contributed with the bat, giving GT extra momentum, but the final total was not enough to hold off RCB.
Gujarat’s chase defence briefly wobbled when Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar struck in quick succession, dismissing Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar. However, Krunal Pandya’s finishing burst ultimately decided the contest. His unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, including a decisive assault in the 18th over, helped seal the result for Bengaluru.
After the match, Gill hinted that his top order will look to improve their early-impact execution in the coming fixtures. “He was quite upset with the way he got out in the previous game. But in the upcoming games, hopefully, he gives me some more strike in the Power-play,” Gill said, underlining how Gujarat’s chances slipped in the crucial phases despite moments that could have swung the game their way.
