Skipper Shubman Gill made his displeasure clear with his team’s inability to rotate strike after Gujarat Titans (GT) succumbed to a six-wicket defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their IPL 2025 match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday (April 12).

Despite a solid 120-run opening stand between Gill (60) and Sai Sudharsan (56), GT could only post 180/6, a total LSG overhauled with three deliveries to spare, thanks to composed half-centuries from Aiden Markram (58) and Nicholas Pooran (61).

Reflecting on the loss, Gill highlighted the role of strike rotation on a sluggish pitch. “The wicket wasn't easy to hit from the get-go and this was the conversation — that if there's one batsman set, we have to play 17-18 overs so we can get to 200-210. Losing back-to-back wickets didn't help our cause,” he said at the post-match presentation.

Gill pointed out that while the surface made free strokeplay difficult, GT’s inability to keep the scoreboard ticking cost them crucial momentum.

“Our strike rotation wasn't as good as expected and that's something we have to work on,” he added.

With this loss, the Titans slipped to second spot in the team standings. Delhi Capitals are now leading the 10-team points table.

Shubman Gill, however, found positives in his team's fightback with the ball. “We were behind the game but if we got a few quick wickets, we could take the match deep. We got a few wickets after the 10th over but the ball didn't stop as much as we thought it would.”

“Fighting till the end was a good sign for us. That was the conversation in the second timeout — that we'll take it as deep as possible,” Gill concluded.

Gujarat Titans will next face Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 19.