Shubman Gill looked almost resigned after Gujarat Titans fell 29 runs short of Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday night. Four missed chances – three of them absolute sitters – turned what he felt was a very gettable chase into a heavy defeat.
“Looking at the wicket, we thought 200-220 was a par score. But we dropped too many catches and when you drop three to four catches in a game, it is never easy for the bowlers,” Gill said, shaking his head. “We didn’t deserve to win.”
The match pivoted around Finn Allen. The New Zealander was on 14 when Jason Holder flung himself in the covers and couldn’t hold on; on 33 Mohammed Siraj let a gentle skier slip through at long-on. Allen cashed in, hammering 93 from 35 deliveries as KKR piled up 247 for 3 – the highest total ever posted against the Titans.
Things didn’t improve in the deep either. Cameron Green was given a life on 23 by Arshad Khan; Angkrish Raghuvanshi was spilled at fine leg by Washington Sundar. Both finished unbeaten in the fifties, Green in particular bullying the back-end yorkers that refused to land.
Gill’s own side managed 218 for 4 in response, hardly a disaster on a used Ahmedabad strip that did hold up the odd ball. “The pitch was good. The odd ball was stopping and sticking. We batted well to the score that we did,” he pointed out. “But our fielding could have been a lot better. We set a certain standard and dropping three sitters in a game like this, I don’t think we deserved to win this one.”
He was not in the mood for panic, though. With 16 points and second place still intact, GT remain strong contenders for the playoffs. “Best to have a game like this, 240-250 game, the bowling having an off day, a game like that now than in the qualifiers,” Gill added. “Rest and recover for a couple of days, travel back to Ahmedabad, and see how the wicket is and plan accordingly.”
Next up is Chennai Super Kings on 21 May. A sharper night in the field feels non-negotiable.
