Gujarat Titans’ Vijay Shankar Criticizes Team’s Batting Performance Following Loss to Chennai Super Kings in IPL Qualifier 1

Ahmedabad: Vijay Shankar, the prominent batsman of the Gujarat Titans, held the team’s batters responsible for their defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL Qualifier 1 match held here. Shankar expressed his disappointment, stating, “We could have chased better.”

After winning the toss, Gujarat Titans’ captain Hardik Pandya elected to bowl, and CSK managed to post a competitive total of 172 for 7 on the sluggish Chepauk pitch.

Considering the challenging conditions, the target proved to be more formidable than anticipated, as Gujarat Titans had an unusually subpar performance, getting bundled out for just 157 runs in their allotted 20 overs.

Speaking to reporters after the match on Tuesday, the Tamil Nadu cricketer said, “I believe we could have pursued the target more effectively. We could have brought the game much closer.”

The defending champions fell short by 15 runs in their pursuit of 173.

The Gujarat Titans’ chase was thwarted by the CSK spinners, led by Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana, who curtailed the flow of runs during the middle overs while also taking crucial wickets.

“In my opinion, the CSK bowlers performed exceptionally well in the middle overs. The middle overs are of utmost importance for any chasing team. We lost wickets at critical junctures. Otherwise, if you analyze the game, we lost by a margin of just 15 runs.”

“If we had a solid partnership going, things could have been different. It was simply a matter of losing wickets at the wrong time. Perhaps a partnership of 20 to 30 runs during the middle overs could have brought us closer to victory,” Shankar lamented.

When questioned about the shuffle in the batting order, Shankar highlighted that throughout the season, all the batsmen had played in different positions. He emphasized that this adaptability was a strength of their batting unit and had resulted in their success.

“When you lose a wicket and subsequently the match, it may appear that we have made numerous changes. However, we have been playing this way throughout the season, right from game one until now. We have adjusted our batting order based on the conditions and situations, and it has yielded positive outcomes,” he explained.

Shankar, along with Rashid Khan, managed to revive Gujarat Titans’ chances in the match before their dismissals dashed their hopes.

“Even during the over I got out, I believe I could have strategized better. I should have targeted more effectively. It was a valuable learning experience for us. We have won several games while chasing, and this loss is just one game among many,” said Shankar, who has scored 301 runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.11 in 12 matches this season.

Looking ahead to Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad, where they will face the winner of the Eliminator between the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants, Shankar remained optimistic about the team’s performance.

“So far, we have played numerous home and away games. It is now a matter of adapting to the conditions in Ahmedabad as quickly as possible. Overall, we have played outstanding cricket. One loss won’t have a significant impact. It is about regrouping, giving our best, and performing for the team,” he concluded.