IPL 2024: ‘I have seen miracles happen’ says Shubman Gill on GT playoff hopes

Ahmedabad, May 11 (IANS) Following the Gujarat Titans’ 35-run win over the Chennai Super Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday, captain Shubman Gill stated that “we all believe that we can still make it into the playoffs,” with just two games remaining.
 

Shubman Gill and B. Sai Sudharsan unleashed an outstanding assault on Chennai Super Kings bowling attack by slamming centuries each to power Gujarat Titans to a comfortable 35-run win over Chennai Super Kings.

The win sees GT jump from the bottom place to eighth position. CSK, meanwhile, remain in fourth place with 12 points, with their NRR taking a hit as it now stands at 0.49. Though they are ahead of Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants on points and NRR, CSK’s defeat gives them and Royal Challengers Bengaluru hope to be alive in the race to playoffs.

“It was great watching him (Sai Sudarshan). Last year he missed out on a hundred in the finals and having comeback and the way that he played in the middle overs watching from the other end. He’s someone who works very hard on his game and for someone like him to be able to execute those shots like that it’s just magnificent,” said Shubman Gill during the post match press conference.

“Our always style is to have the best combination in the team as possible. But unfortunately, Wriddhi Bhai had to miss out because of a niggle and we had no other option to open with Sai and me and it worked out well for us today.

“The chances of us qualifying was 0.1 or 1 per cent. I think all of us, all 25 of us, we all believe that we can still make it into the playoffs. Because I have seen miracles happen with this team in the past couple of years and we all do believe in that,”

The Gujarat Titans not only boosted their own chances of making it to the playoffs but helped other teams in the likes of the RCB, LSG and DC who are all eying the number four spot. Shubman Gill put on an excellent batting partnership with fellow opener, Sai Sudharsan as the young batting duo tied Quinton de Kock & KL Rahul for the highest opening partnership (210 runs) in IPL history.

“When I got out, I was a bit frustrated. I thought as a batting unit, we left 10-25 runs out there. At one point we were 195/0 in 15 overs, so I thought that 250 was a pretty gettable score and I was thinking about that. We lost our last three games and it was important for us to win this one and that is what me and Sam were discussing. Every over we tried to maximise our opportunities against every challenge that was thrown at us,” added the 24 year old.

Chennai on the other hand will be looking to make a major comeback in their penultimate game against the Rajasthan Royals who are in the running to finish at the top of the table. Chennai will also face the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final game of the season in what could prove to be the decider in this exciting sprint to the top four.

“Wherever Mahi bhai plays, it is their home ground, so nothing different with that, but at least, when we were scoring, people were cheering for us and when we visit Chepauk, it is complete silence when we hit boundaries or take a wicket,” Gill concluded.

--IANS

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