India batter Shubman Gill was named the Gujarat Titans (GT) captain after Hardik Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2024 in an all-cash deal.
Gill’s IPL captaincy got off to a positive start as GT registered a narrow six-run victory over MI in their campaign opener at Ahmedabad last Sunday (March 24).
In his second match as skipper, however, Shubman faced a tough time and his team suffered a crushing 63-run defeat at the hands of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk.
Ahead of GT’s next home match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), mentor Gary Kirsten expressed confidence in Shubman Gill’s leadership abilities, saying that the latter will grasp the intricacies of making tactical decisions in the dynamic realm of T20 cricket.
"It's a fast game. You are making tactical decisions on a regular basis. It's not like Test cricket where it unfolds over a long period of time.
"I've been really impressed with the way he's conducted himself as a leader," Kirsten told the media on the eve of GT's match against SRH on Sunday (March 31).
"I think he's embraced it (captaincy) really well. He's shown some good leadership qualities. He's a smart guy. He's a young captain, and there's lots to learn, especially in T20. So, he'll learn along the way," he added.
Kirsten acknowledged that the Titans performance well below expectations in their 63-run loss to the Super Kings.
"As with any cricket team, you want to play to the best of your ability. We weren't good enough that day (against CSK). I think we've acknowledged that and we've had our conversations around what we need to make sure that we are better to gain from our skills.
"Every team has different kinds of strengths and we didn't show that in the CSK game and we just got to move on," he said.
Kirsten emphasized that GT should not repeat the errors which they made against CSK, keeping in mind the importance of net run rate in the tournament.
"We have lost one match by a big margin. We have to make that up. We know that teams end up on the same points and you know one goes through (based on NRR). So, it's something that we are constantly mindful of. But we'll need a really good win somewhere," he explained.
However, Kirsten refrained from being critical of GT’s top-order which so far hasn't fired as expected.
"Our top order has done well. The 96 that Sai Sudharsan made in the final last year was one of the better knocks that I've seen in T20. The most important thing is to give people an opportunity to showcase their skills.
"If you're just blowing hot and cold and getting into crisis management because you haven't won a game, it can get yourself into trouble very quickly. T20 is a high-risk game and you've got to allow the players to take a bit of risk."
For Kirsten, it's imperative to support the players and create a friendly environment in the dressing room regardless out of the outcome.
"You got to back your players and believe what they can do. We've tried to build continuity in this programme in the GT squad and ensure that guys are comfortable in their positions and let them know that they're being backed even though they might not fire all the time," he stated.
(With PTI inputs)
