Shubman Gill Relies on Gujarat Titans' Bowling Firepower

Shubman Gill Confident in Gujarat Titans' Bowling Depth Ahead of IPL 2025

Shubman Gill is determined to build on the lessons from his debut season as Gujarat Titans' captain, where the team finished eighth in IPL 2024, and lead a stronger campaign in IPL 2025.

"Last year was a big learning curve for me," Gill reflected ahead of GT’s season opener against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad. "Captaincy is something you grow into. The more you do it, the more you learn—about yourself and about the game. There were several takeaways from last season that I believe will really help me this year."

Gill emphasized personal growth and improving team dynamics as key goals. "It's about developing all-around as a leader—whether that’s spending more time off the field with players or having open one-on-one chats where they can express areas they want to improve, or areas I believe they can grow in to benefit the team."

One clear area for improvement is GT’s powerplay batting. In 2024, they had the lowest scoring rate in the first six overs (7.72). Gill is optimistic that his new opening partnership with Jos Buttler will help turn things around.

“Honestly, yes, our powerplay batting wasn’t great last year,” he admitted. “But there were circumstances—Sai [Sudharsan] and I had good starts at times, but Wriddhi bhai [Saha] got injured midway, and so did Shami bhai. We also had to deal with Hardik [Pandya] moving to Mumbai Indians, so finding the right balance wasn’t easy.”

However, much of Gill’s optimism this year centers on GT's bowling strength, bolstered through key signings at the mega auction. With new additions like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada, and Washington Sundar joining Rashid Khan, Gill believes the team now has a bowling attack capable of winning matches consistently.

“This year, we’ve built a fantastic squad. We have strong batting depth and an excellent group of fast bowlers,” he said. “People focus a lot on scoring 250-plus in the IPL, but it’s really the bowlers who win you matches. If your bowlers can restrict teams effectively, it won’t matter how many runs you score.”

Gill hopes for a settled bowling unit throughout the season but is confident in GT’s depth if changes are needed. “Ideally, we’d love to play the same bowling attack in all 14 games, but if injuries occur, we have great backups. We’ve got Ishi [Ishant Sharma] bhai—his IPL experience is invaluable—and some exciting young talent too.”

With a renewed focus on bowling and better team balance, Gill is optimistic about GT’s chances of bouncing back strong this season.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.