Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill shared on Saturday that the decision to play the IPL match against Mumbai Indians on a black soil pitch was made before the tournament started. They were hoping that this move would help contain a strong MI batting lineup, and it turned out to be a smart choice. The Mumbai batters struggled to chase down a target of 197 and ended up with just 160 runs, losing by 36 runs.
Gill explained in the post-match presentation that they decided on this pitch for the second match, and it played to their advantage. It definitely helped us, especially with MI’s powerful batting, he said. He noted that playing on black soil makes hitting boundaries more challenging once the ball gets a bit old. The team aimed to make the most of the power play but acknowledged that plans don’t always go as expected.
With the pacers performing well, star spinner Rashid Khan had a lighter workload, bowling only two overs. Gill mentioned that he wanted to utilize the pacers since they were doing great, especially Prasidh.
MI captain Hardik Pandya pointed out that basic mistakes in both batting and bowling led to their loss. He felt their lack of professionalism in the field cost them crucial runs. He said the GT openers did well during the power play by playing smart, which put MI at a disadvantage.
Sai Sudharsan and Gill gave GT a solid start, putting together a 78-run partnership without losing a wicket. Meanwhile, MI had a tough time in their chase and fell to 35/2 early on, with key players like Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav unable to stay long at the crease.
Pandya acknowledged that it’s still early in the season but emphasized the need for batters to step up soon. He noted that the Gujarat bowlers, particularly Prasidh Krishna, performed excellently with figures of 2/18, using a lot of cutters to keep the MI batters in check.
The match also had some drama, with Pandya and GT spinner R Sai Kishore getting into a heated exchange during MI’s chase. However, they hugged it out after the match. Kishore mentioned they are friends and that competition on the field is just part of the game. He admitted he had to bowl defensively but felt he managed to contribute to the team’s effort. He also shared that he’s been working hard this season and has been focused on improving his game.
