The Gujarat Titans beat the Punjab Kings by six wickets. The final score was a nail-biter, with the team chasing 154 and succeeding with a single ball to spare.
On Thursday, Hardik Pandya, captain of the Gujarat Titans, encouraged his team to take greater risks during the middle overs of their forthcoming Indian Premier League matches. With the help of opener Shubman Gill’s 49-ball 67 and Mohit Sharma’s (2-/18) stellar return to the IPL, defending champions GT defeated Punjab Kings by a six-wicket margin. Hardik was not happy that the game was so close in the end when GT successfully chased 154 with a ball to spare.
If I were in our position, I would not want the game to come down to the wire. We picked up some valuable lessons from this match. It’s never over until it’s over,” Hardik stated at the postgame presentation.
Therefore, we will have to start from scratch. In the middle overs, I think we can afford to take a few more shots. We need to make sure the game doesn’t run too long into the night, therefore we should play shots and take risks in the middle overs.
The ball was becoming increasingly dry on the pitch despite its otherwise favorable conditions. When the fresh ball was in play, it was a ripper. Mohit, a medium-pacer, had a fantastic outing with the ball, and he was quite impressed.
Mohit, making his first appearance in the league since 2020, bowled a brilliant final over, allowing only six runs.
When Mohit and Alzarri (Joseph) showed up, I wasn’t shocked. The bowling they did was outstanding. To Mohit’s credit, too. To join us as a net bowler and patiently wait for his opportunity; today was that day. “He has put in a lot of time and effort and been very patient, and now his reward has arrived,” Hardik said of Mohit.
Referring back to the outcome, the captain continued, “It will be a tough pill to chew, taking it this close. I’m not crazy about bringing it down to the final frame. PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan has voiced his team’s continued dissatisfaction with its batting performance.
Not a lot of runs were scored by us. Moving ahead, we must make that correction. If a team plays 56 balls, as indicated by the number of dots on the balls, they will lose the game.
Dhawan has noted that the team needs to improve on avoiding early wickets, which puts them at a disadvantage.
Best Performer in the Game Mohit remarked, “I enjoyed my time here.” I debated whether or not to abandon my variations and instead consulted Hardik throughout the middle overs; our conversation was fruitful.
Training must be intense, and you must always aim for perfection. You have to adjust your bowling style to the conditions and keep it simple. After 10 overs, I was given the opportunity to bowl. Mohit attributes the team’s success to the coaching staff for establishing clear roles for each player.
