Shubman Gill on KKR Loss: Better to Miss Catches Now Than During Playoffs

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill admitted his side paid heavily for a poor fielding display after suffering a 29-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Gujarat Titans dropped four catches during the contest, allowing KKR’s batters to dominate and post a daunting 247/2. Despite a spirited chase that saw GT reach 218, Gill felt the fielding lapses cost his side the match. “We set a certain standard and after dropping three sitters, we didn’t deserve to win. But it’s probably better for this to happen now than during the playoffs,” Gill said after the game.

The missed chances proved extremely costly as Finn Allen, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green all made Gujarat pay. Allen was dropped more than once before blasting 93 off just 35 deliveries, while Raghuvanshi scored 82 from 44 balls after receiving a lifeline. Green also survived a chance and finished unbeaten on 52 off 28 balls as KKR registered one of their highest totals of the season.

Gill believed the pitch was not as difficult as the final score suggested and felt GT could have restricted KKR to a far lower total with sharper fielding. “Looking at the wicket, 200-210 was a par score. We simply dropped too many catches. The pitch was good for batting, though a few balls held up slightly. I thought we did well with the bat, but our fielding was nowhere near good enough,” he added.

GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel also pointed to catching as the defining factor in the game. “In high-scoring matches against quality batters, you don’t get many chances. When those opportunities come, you have to take them, and that was the major difference,” Parthiv said.

The defeat ended Gujarat Titans’ five-match winning streak, though they still remain well placed in the playoff race. Gill, however, will hope his side’s poorest fielding performance of the season serves as a wake-up call before the knockout stage begins.