Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], May 30 : Following his side's win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Qualifier two, Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill, who scored a match-winning ton, said that he was batting in such a zone that he just wanted to hit the ball in the gaps and not try to hit it too hard.
A match-winning century from Gill outshone another sensational knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old could walk away with the Orange Cap at least for all his effort, but the final between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) is sealed as early wickets cost the Royals the tempo that they could have set, and the target of 215 runs was too modest in front of GT's highly consistent opening pair of Gill and Sai Sudharsan.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Gill said, "I was in kind of a zone where I was only looking at the gaps and looking at the bowlers and looking at where I want to hit the ball. I wasn't looking to hit the ball too hard. It was just about seeing the ball land, seeing my zones and trying to adjust there. (He played as if there were no fielders) That's what happens when you're batting well. You just see the gaps, and you middle everything. I'm very fortunate, you know, we got a... we got a target of 220. At one point, it looked like we were gonna restrict them around 180-190, but we got a total, and once we got off to a start, we spoke about, I actually wanted to finish the game, quite sad how I got out."
On his partnership with Sai, he said that they both understand each other's game well.
"When we are batting out there, our communication is very good. We know one of us has to take down one of the bowlers. And I think we are very good at deciding who is going to take down which bowler," he added.
Speaking on Sudharsan's bizzare hit wicket dismissal, which occured second time in a row, he said, "I do not think I have ever seen anything. No one has seen anything like that, two matches, back to back in a row. The way he got out."
He also said that the team is really fortunate to have six to seven good bowling options to such an extent that Sai Kishore did not get to bowl even a single over and said that now it is "all about clicking in the final".
On playing the home final, he said, "The feeling is definitely good. It is a one-day turnaround, so quick turnaround. So hopefully we all learn and recover tomorrow, and then day after, go there, see how the wicket is, and then just play another match of cricket."
Further speaking on the title clash, he said that not playing while keeping the occasion in mind will bring the best out of them.
"And that is what we spoke about even in this game as well, let us take the equation out of the game and let us just try to play a good game of cricket. And as long as we do that, even if we do not end up on the winning side, that is fine," he signed off.
With this win, the Gujarat Titans have set up the title clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Ahmedabad on Sunday. After RR put to bat first, a fine knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (96 in 47 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and a cameo from Donovan Ferreira (38* in 11 balls, with two fours and four sixes) took RR to 214/6 in 20 overs. Later in the chase of 215 runs, skipper Shubman Gill (104 in 53 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) and his 167-run stand with Sai Sudharsan (58 in 32 balls, with eight fours and a six) set the platform for a three-wicket win.
This is the highest target chased in the IPL playoffs, outdoing the target of 204 chased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Mumbai Indians (MI) in last year's Qualifier two. This is also GT's highest IPL run-chase, outdoing their 204-run chase against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2025.