Gujarat Titans got off to a shaky start in IPL 2026, going down in a tense contest against Punjab Kings on Tuesday night. The visitors never quite got going with the bat, lacking a substantial contribution at the top or in the middle, and had to settle for a modest 163. It left them with little margin for error, though the bowling unit responded with intent. Prasidh Krishna, introduced as the Impact Player, made a telling difference, striking three times and dragging the game deep. Despite the late push and some nervy moments for Punjab, Gujarat couldn’t quite close it out in the end and lost the match by three wickets in the last over.
Meanwhile, skipper Shubman Gill came under scrutiny for holding Prasidh Krishna back until the 13th over and was asked about the move after the game. Explaining the Impact Player call, Gill said the team considered their options but felt they introduced Krishna at the right time, factoring in the conditions and his recent form.
“I could’ve (brought Krishna early into the attack), but he came at the right time, took wickets and kept us in the game until the 17th and 18th over. There will always be ifs and buts, but at that time, we thought, you know, with the wicket going a little bit slow, maybe a bowler who’s quick and skinny might get us a few wickets. And he was bowling pretty well in the nets. So that was the thought process behind it,” Gill said in the post-match presentation.
“Never looked like a 210-220 wicket”
Krishna ended with figures of 3 for 29 from his four overs, while pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj didn’t complete his spell, finishing with two overs unused. Kagiso Rabada, too, was held back with one over remaining.
Assessing where things slipped, Shubman pointed to a sluggish finish with the bat and felt the surface didn’t allow for a much bigger total once the ball got older.
“I think we bowled pretty well, but I think we just didn’t get going in the last five or six overs, I’d say. Batting, it never looked like a 210-220 wicket. But I think if we would have had maybe 175, 180 was the target in the middle. Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground,” he added.
