Shubman Gill, leading the Gujarat Titans, pointed to missed chances in the last few overs with the bat as key when his team fell short against Punjab Kings in their first IPL match this week. Though they had strong hitters like Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, and Glenn Phillips, the innings never really took off on a decent pitch. They ended up at 162 for 6. Looking back, he believed something closer to 210 or even 220 wasn’t out of reach given how the wicket played. That extra push just didn’t happen.
Few could match Cooper Connolly’s ease when Punjab Kings took the field – his 72 unfolded without strain, smooth at every turn. The pitch offered nothing new, yet his bat sang through it all.
“It looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn’t score much in the last five overs,” conceded Gill after the three-wicket loss.
“Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground,” he added.
Gill reckoned things got simpler once the rain arrived, since a damp ball favored the local players more. Later on, hitting felt less tough because moisture changed how the game moved.
“In the second innings, rain continued, making the ball wet, which slightly improved batting conditions. So I don’t think it (ball) stopped as much in the second innings. But nonetheless, I think we did a decent job…all ifs and buts.” “Hard luck and it wasn’t the game for us, but I think we did decently well. It’s just, you know, keep getting better and keep adding more intensity and keep giving your best.” Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer said he was impressed by young batter Connolly’s calm and composed approach
Out of nowhere, those strokes Connolly hit looked almost unreal. That particular ball from Rashid Khan? Mind-bending stuff. My fingers were buried in ice at the time – tuning into the cold sting. Then, just like that, two batters fell within moments. Happens every season when the pressure flips on. Calm stays even if everything else doesn’t.
“Cooper was there, he was composed and calm…,” added Iyer.
Happy with how things went, Connolly mentioned the bat work felt great – earning him top honours for the game.
Happy with how things went tonight, even though I’d been eager to share the field with top-tier talent. Playing my way matters most – keeping rhythm, sensing every move of my hands. Big explosive shots aren’t really my path. That groove? It’s where I live.
“We were quite relaxed, in a great position out there, nice to get the win.”
