Shubman Gill Fires 'Chennai Wicket' Warning To MS Dhoni's CSK Ahead Of Qualifier 1
Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans are set to square-off against MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 1 in IPL 2023.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: May 23, 2023 09:22 AM IST
Gujarat Titans' batting mainstay Shubman Gill feels that his recent success in international and franchise cricket is primarily due to a thorough understanding of his own game and knowing the player that he is. The Gujarat Titans opener's 52-ball-104, studded with eight sixes knocked Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore out of the IPL as the table toppers successfully chased down 198 in just 19.1 overs here on Sunday.
"I know my game... for any player it's important to know who you are," Gill, who has a good shot at the 'Orange Cap' with 680 runs under his belt (50 short of Faf du Plessis' 730) said after his team's victory.
"The new ball was holding on a bit. It was getting wet due to the dew. I thought Vijay Shankar was trying to go too hard. Once he found the momentum, he hit it a long way," he added.
He also sounded a warning to Chennai Super Kings with a scintillating century and an assertion that they have a great bowling attack to challenge MS Dhoni's team "on that wicket" at Chepauk in the playoffs.
"I think we have a great bowling attack for that (Chennai) wicket. It's going to be an exciting one, playing against Chennai in Chennai. Hopefully, we'll make it to the final for the second time," Gill said at the post-match presentation.
Speaking about his century, the player of the match said, "It's all about getting a start and converting it into a big one. Thankfully, it's working out for me in the business end. You have to keep applying yourself, that's important.
Besides Gill, GT skipper Hardik Pandya also lauded his teammates for the "calmness" in the dugout.
"The calmness which the boys had was terrific. We wanted to keep the momentum going. We have ticked a lot of boxes." On Gill, the captain said, "He knows when he plays those cricketing shots, it's a different Shubman Gill. He doesn't give any chance and that gives confidence to the other batter as well." He added, "We would have taken 197 at the start, but we didn't bowl well. Special innings from Kohli, but we went too early for the death overs.