We Like To Outsmart The Opponent: Shubman Gill On His Partnership With Sai Sudharsan

NDTV

22-05-2025

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill revealed that the "skill of outsmarting the opposition" is what makes his batting partnership with Sai Sudharsan so effective. He added that "reading conditions and assessing the situation" is why his side's tactical awareness remains key to their success in the IPL 2025. As an opening pair in IPL 2025, Sudharsan and Gill have amassed 839 runs, at an average of 76.27, with seven 50-plus stands - three of them going past the 100-mark. The duo stitched the highest partnership for Gujarat Titans in T20s with their unbeaten 205-run first-wicket stand at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday as GT booked their spot in the playoffs with a 10-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.
"I think the way we bat is not exactly similar, but the left-right combination helps. We both run very well between the wickets, and we're the kind of players who like to outsmart the opponent, including the bowlers," Gill said on the episode of JioHotstar's Gen Bold.
"In T20 cricket, especially with the introduction of the Impact Player rule, that skill of outsmarting the opposition has declined a bit. But I think our team still does it well. It's easy to swing freely on good cement wickets, but real skill lies in reading conditions, assessing the situation, and consistently putting up fighting totals - that, I believe, is the key to our success," he added.
Gill reflected on the team's consistent success, and he also credited collective contributions across departments, saying, "I think it's been a collective performance. The way everyone is coming together and contributing in all aspects - that's something we've done well over the first three years, and I think that's what has continued this season."
The skipper further credited coach Ashish Nehra for shaping the team's identity and empowering the bowling unit. "I think Ashish Nehra had a clear vision when Gujarat Titans came in during the first year - he knew how he wanted to build the team and define player roles. His communication with the players, both on and off the field, has been excellent.
"There are always areas to improve, and the way he works individually with players, especially the bowlers, stands out. Many believe that the IPL is won by batters, but our ideology is different. It doesn't matter how many runs you score if you can't defend them. The way he guides the bowling unit has been a major strength for us," Gill added.
Last year, after smashing a brilliant maiden international hundred in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, Abhishek Sharma revealed that he used his childhood friend and under-19 teammate Gill's bat in the match, something he has regularly done in the past as well.
Gill signed off by revealing the light-hearted backstory of how Abhishek began using his bats since their U-16 days. "It started back in our U-16 days. Abhishek began playing with my bat - there's a story behind it. He was batting on 80 or 90 runs using my match bat, and I didn't want it to break, so I asked him to return it. We ended up having a bit of a fight over that! But whenever he asked for my bat, I always gave it to him - and he scored a lot of runs with it," he said.
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