'Wanted to finish it': Shubman Gill after 86 versus KKR
What's the story
Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill played a stellar innings of 86 runs to lead his team to a five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The match was held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. Despite his impressive performance, Gill remained focused on the bigger picture of winning the tournament rather than individual accolades or comparisons with past performances.
Team focus
'Winning the cup in finals...'
Gill, who had a stellar IPL season in 2023, was quick to dismiss any comparisons with his past performances. He said, "Honestly, I don't think it matters, and the only thing that matters is the team winning. Winning the cup in the Finals is what I am looking forward to." The statement clearly showed that Gill was more focused on his team's success than individual achievements or past glories.
High standards
Gill wanted to finish the chase himself
Despite leading his team to victory with a brilliant innings, Gill was not fully satisfied. He admitted that he should have finished the chase himself and expressed disappointment at how he got out. "I wanted to be there till the end and finish it," he said after the match, emphasizing on how high of a standard he holds for himself as a player.
Captaincy insights
GT's powerplay bowling impressed Gill
Gill also shared his thoughts on GT's powerplay bowling, praising Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada for their threatening spells. He said giving them an extra over worked because the ball was still moving around. The GT captain also revealed that he had worked hard on his fitness before the season, as well as on the mental and tactical aspects of his game.
Batting approach
GT captain's batting style
Gill played a captain's knock. He hit 86 runs off 50 balls, hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes. With this knock, Gill owns 5,663 runs from 179 T20s at 37.5. He struck his 35th T20 fifty (100s: 6). In the IPL, Gill raced to 4,117 runs from 122 matches at 40.36. He struck his 29th fifty (100s: 4). In 5 IPL games against KKR, he has 271 runs at 54.2 (50s: 2).