IPL 2026: Gill admits GT fell short with bat after narrow loss to PBKS

Captain Shubman Gill conceded that Gujarat Titans (GT) were unable to make the most of a promising start with the bat and also missed out on finishing strongly in the death overs, as they suffered a three-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 opener at the PCA New International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Reflecting on the contest, Gill said the surface offered enough assistance for a much higher total but his side could not accelerate in the latter stages of the innings. “It looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn’t score much in the last 5 overs. Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground,” he said in the post-match presentation.

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Gujarat Titans finished with 162 for 6 in their 20 overs after getting off to an encouraging start through Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who added 35 runs inside the first three overs. However, the momentum faded as wickets fell at regular intervals in the middle phase. Gill contributed 39, while Jos Buttler scored 38 and Glenn Phillips chipped in with 25, but the side could not push the total to a more competitive score.

Gill also noted that the conditions improved slightly for batting during the chase due to rain, which made the ball wet. “In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions,” he added.

Despite the loss, the skipper commended the bowling unit for keeping Gujarat in contention for most of the chase, particularly highlighting the efforts of Prasidh Krishna, who picked up three wickets.

“Bowling was good, and we can’t blame them. I could’ve (on delaying Prasidh’s introduction), but he came at the right time, took wickets, and kept us in the game until the 17th and 18th over. All ifs and buts, but he was bowling well in the nets as well,” he said.

Gill also praised youngster Ashok Sharma for his impressive outing with the ball. “For Ashok, he works hard on the game; he’s a good find for us. I met him at one of our camps a couple of months ago. He is doing well, and I hope he continues to do well,” he noted.

In response, Punjab Kings chased down the target of 163 in 19.1 overs, largely thanks to a match-winning unbeaten 72 from debutant Cooper Connolly, even though Gujarat mounted a brief late fightback.

Gill concluded by encouraging his teammates to remain positive after the narrow defeat.

“I would say well done, boys. Keep up the effort and keep working hard; always show your talent,” he said.

Gujarat Titans will next take on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.