Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill believes his side’s Indian Premier League final could have been decided differently had they managed to reach something in the 180–190 range. After the Gujarat franchise made its second showpiece in five seasons, it fell short of a repeat title, with the pressure starting to build early as the batting effort from the top order—Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler—didn’t quite fire when it mattered most.
While the Titans’ bowlers fought hard to defend 156, it wasn’t enough in the end as Virat Kohli anchored Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s chase with a fighting 75 not out off 42 balls, laced with nine fours and three sixes. Kohli’s composure helped RCB successfully defend its title bid and claim the trophy with two overs to spare.
What Gill said after the final
Speaking after the match, Gill pointed to the margin that separated the teams.
- He felt that posting close to 180 or 190 would likely have created a tougher contest: “If we had gotten close to 180, 190, it would have been a good match.”
- On whether the pitch played slowly or offered extra variation, he said it was not a major factor, adding that there might have been a touch of it.
- Gill noted that during the opening overs, fast bowlers get some movement, but Gujarat lost a couple of early wickets and couldn’t find momentum in the middle phase.
- He stressed that even totals of 150 or 160 can be competitive if the team secures a couple of early breakthroughs in the powerplay, keeping the contest in its favour.
- Gill also expressed regret at not “getting over the line” and said there is always room to improve, describing their process of continually pushing and refining those small “five per cent” aspects.
He concluded by acknowledging that even if they had won, the group would still have identified areas to work on together.
RCB vs GT: how the match unfolded
RCB won the toss and asked Gujarat to bat first. The Titans finished on 155/8 in their 20 overs, unable to build a truly dominant platform.
- Washington Sundar top-scored for Gujarat with 50 not out off 37 balls, striking five fours.
- Nishant Sindhu made 20 off 18 deliveries, including three boundaries as the only other batter to cross the 20-run mark.
- Rasikh Dar Salam returned 3/27, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 2/29 and Josh Hazlewood claimed 2/37 to keep taking wickets at regular intervals.
RCB’s response began strongly, with a 62-run partnership between Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli. Venkatesh contributed 32 off 16 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes, before the Titans applied pressure with timely dismissals.
Gujarat fought back to reduce RCB to 132/5 at one stage. However, Kohli remained firm and carried his side through the chase, finishing unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls with nine fours and three sixes. RCB ultimately reached the target with two overs remaining.
Title and trophy context
This victory marks RCB’s second IPL title triumph and their fourth overall Indian franchise championship, counting two Women’s Premier League (WPL) titles in addition to their men’s success.
