Gujarat Titans‘ assistant coach, Parthiv Patel, had a lot of good things to say about the team’s bowling performance against the Rajasthan Royals in their recent IPL match. He praised the bowlers for sticking closely to their game plan while defending a challenging total of 217 runs on a pitch that didn’t make it easy to bowl. Sai Sudharsan stood out, scoring a stylish 82 runs off 53 balls, and along with some outstanding bowling, GT managed to claim a solid 58-run victory on Wednesday. The bowlers really stepped up for the Titans, with Prasidh Krishna taking 3 wickets for just 24 runs, Rashid Khan grabbing 2 for 37, and Sai Kishore shining with 2 wickets for only 20 runs, helping to bowl out the Royals for 159 in just 19.1 overs.
Patel pointed out that winning by such a margin on that kind of wicket means each bowler really hit their targets. He highlighted Siraj’s strong performance and praised Prasidh Krishna for his consistency throughout the tournament. Sai Kishore is likely the best spinner in the tournament right now, he noted. He’s been fantastic; he shows a lot of courage and knows how to handle tough situations on the field. Patel also expressed his satisfaction with how every game seems to see different bowlers stepping up. He emphasized that while batters set up a match, it’s often the bowlers who secure the win.
When asked about team roles, he shared that the Titans prefer a flexible approach. We adapt based on what’s happening in the game, he explained. Patel also took the time to commend Sudharsan’s work ethic. He really puts in the effort, so it’s no shock that he’s doing so well. Sometimes we even have to pull him out of the nets because he’s keen to keep practicing. He keeps his game simple and sticks to what he knows works for him, which is why he’s been so consistent.
There was also a decision to leave Washington Sundar out of the lineup for this match, and Patel shared the rationale behind that. Sundar was in consideration for our playing eleven, but we wanted to assess what the conditions were like. We’ve done this before – looking at how the game unfolds is crucial. Even in the last game, when early wickets fell, he came to bat. For us, it’s about recognizing when we might need an extra seamer, which is what we opted for in the second innings. He added that if things went differently with the batting, they could have shifted strategies, but they felt confident with the lineup they had.
On the other side of things, Rajasthan Royals’ spin bowling coach, Sairaj Bahutule, felt that the target set by GT was reachable, though they struggled to form solid partnerships which hampered their chase. I believe 217 was chaseable, he remarked. It was a good pitch for batting. Personally, I think 200 was a decent score. While maybe cutting down 20 runs could’ve helped, they played well. Sai Sudharsan was particularly strong in the powerplay.
He acknowledged that the Titans were able to forge better partnerships, leading to their higher score, while his own team fell short in that area. In T20, sometimes things don’t pan out as expected, he said. Overall, our bowlers did give it their all on a pitch that was very batting-friendly. Bahutule couldn’t help but praise Sudharsan for his excellent performance and hinted that he might earn a spot on the national team soon.
Sai is a traditional player who has worked on his game over time. GT generally has a strong top order, so taking early wickets is key for opposing teams. We were able to get Shubman Gill out early, which was a plus, but they built partnerships that helped them post a big total. We aimed to keep them in check, but we could’ve performed better in those final overs, Bahutule noted.
When it comes to decision-making in the fast-paced world of T20 cricket, Bahutule believes it can make or break a team. T20 is a fast-paced game, so your ability to make quick decisions and solve problems on the fly is essential. We’ll need to take a step back and evaluate what went well and what needs improvement for both our batting and bowling, he said. In this game, mistakes are part of the deal, but if we can keep those to a minimum, we’ll put ourselves in a better position in future matches.
