Shubman Gill's Captaincy Error Singled Out Despite Gujarat Titans' 1st Win Of IPL 2026 Season: "A Big Mistake"

Shubman Gill's return to action after injury resulted in good fortune for the Gujarat Titans (GT) as they registered their first victory of IPL 2026 on Wednesday, beating Delhi Capitals (DC) by just 1 run in a dramatic last-over thriller. Gill made an excellent 70 off 45 with the bat, top-scoring for his team. However, despite GT's win, his captaincy came under a bit of scrutiny. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan pointed out that Gill made a big mistake in one of his bowling changes.

During Delhi Capitals' chase of a 211-run target, Gill handed the ball to 23-year-old pacer Ashok Sharma to deliver the last over of the powerplay. However, the move did not go to plan.

Ashok, who recently bowled the fastest ball of IPL 2026 by clocking 154.2 kmph, was clobbered for 23 runs in the over by DC openers Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul. Nissanka, in particular, went berserk, hammering Ashok for three boundaries and a six.

Pathan pointed out why giving Ashok the ball was a mistake by Gill.

"Bowling Rashid (Khan) in the powerplay was a good call. But they brought in Ashok for the last over. I felt that was a big mistake," Pathan said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

"KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka like pace. This guy gives pace, but the pitch was not suitable for that. If you give the last over of the powerplay to an inexperienced bowler on a black soil pitch, it is a mistake," he added.

The 23-run over meant that DC finished the powerplay on 63/0. Ashok fared better in his next two overs, but did not complete his quota, finishing with figures of 0/45 in three overs.

However, Gujarat Titans' last-over victory ensured Gill and co. their first points of IPL 2026, and a much-needed win after starting the season with back-to-back losses.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Shubman Gill Irfan Pathan Ashok Sharma Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 Cricket