SRH vs GT, IPL 2024: Gujarat Titans skipper Gill says injuries affected team combination

After Gujarat Titans’ hopes to appear in its third consecutive playoff was washed away, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill said that his side was unable to find balance this season.

“We have been a bit up and down in the season. It’s important in a big season like this to be balanced as a team and as a performing unit, which I think we were not able to do this season,” Gill said.

Speaking to the media on the eve of the IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Wednesday, he said it was never easy when some of the key players get injured before the season.

“We had to completely change our team combination in between because of some players getting injured. And, then it’s not easy for the players coming in to be able to perform straight away,” the Gujarat captain said.

“But, apart from that, I think it’s just a matter of one match here and there. The match that we lost against Delhi by one run. A match like that could go either way. So, at the end of the day the margin is so close,” Gill said.

“It’s hard to identify or pinpoint any particular moment or area. But, I think, collectively, as a fielding unit, at some of the key moments, we let ourselves down,” he said.

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On captaincy, Gill said it was very interesting. “When you come as a player, you are more focused on your growth as a batter, player and fielder. But, when you are captaining, you should know how to get the best out of your players,” he said.

“Because not all 15 or 25 of our players are going to be with the same mindset. There are some players who are playing in the IPL for the first time. And, then there are experienced players like Kane Williamson or a David Miller or a Matthew Wade who know how to go about their things. It’s important to communicate with them,” Gill said.

“It was important for me to tell them what their role is and how I can get the best out of them. And, that is the challenge. I don’t think captaincy affected my batting. If I am thinking about those things while I am batting then I won’t be able to get the best out of myself as a batter,” he said.

What can be the biggest challenge tomorrow against Sunrisers?

“The challenge would be to be able to replicate the performance in our last match against Chennai Super Kings. Can we come up with the same intensity that we did in the last match? Can we come up again? Knowing that we won’t be able to qualify. Having that information and to be able to come up in this match and still do our best would be the challenge,” Gill said.

“I am as motivated as one can be. Irrespective of what the position is, I always play to win. That’s the mindset and the intensity at which I go about my things,” he said. “I can say that you would see all of our players playing at that intensity,” he added.

On Sunrisers opener Abhishek Sharma who has been having a terrific run in this IPL, Gill said in the past couple of seasons too he was performing well.

“It was just a matter of fact for him to be able to get a breakthrough season like this. But, I felt in the past couple of seasons as well he has done well for SRH,” he said.

“That’s the reason why he was retained for two years because he has been doing well. But this year I think he has been magnificent. We can all see the hard work that he has put in before this season,” Gill said.