New Delhi, April 7 – Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill will be available for the team's upcoming IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals (DC), to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, confirmed his opening partner B Sai Sudharsan.
Gill missed GT’s match against Rajasthan Royals, which they lost by six runs in Ahmedabad, due to a muscle spasm. “Shubman is fine. He is completely okay, he will be fine. Of course, yes (he will open),” said Sudharsan in the pre-match press conference.
Gill’s availability is a major boost for IPL 2022 winners GT, who are yet to open their account in the ongoing tournament after consecutive defeats. Sudharsan, however, expressed confidence in the team's ability to bounce back, especially in their middle-order batters.
“I think it’s a combination of both – as opening batters and the top three batters. If someone plays for longer, it’s always a great thing for the team. I think we believe in our middle order, they will (perform well). This is the team we know, the one in which we played last year and qualified.”
“So, it’s just two games, and I believe, and the whole team believes, that we will definitely have a strong middle order and win games. IPL is a tournament where, in two-three days, when you keep playing matches, momentum is one of the most important things.”
“Yes, we look back at these two games, and we have definitely learned a lot. I think we will try to do that, so that we can get our first win and regain momentum,” he said.
Left-handed opener Sudharsan has scored 86 runs in two games so far and was the leading run-scorer in IPL 2025. He further stated that he is always working hard to adapt his batting to the growing demands of T20 cricket.
“I don’t look at it as a different tournament. Wherever I play, whatever matches I play, the preparation is very similar, and the effort and hard work behind it are also similar. I am just grateful and lucky enough to execute it here.”
“Definitely, as the sport is evolving and T20 batting is getting more and more demanding every season or even every 5-6 months, it is very important for me to learn from it and be versatile enough to have that in my repertoire. So, definitely, there are improvements to be made, and of course, I am looking at it.”
Sudharsan also shed light on his mental preparation routine, which he said plays a crucial role in his performance. “In most of my preparation, it’s about mental preparation. Once the pre-season camp is over, it’s all about fine-tuning, having clear thoughts, and having a well-organized mind. I spend a lot of time on that – I do yoga, meditation, and visualisation to keep myself mentally fit.”
Elaborating on GT’s batting approach at the top of the order, Sudharsan emphasized the importance of understanding the conditions and building a platform rather than going all out from the start. “It’s important to understand what is required on this wicket and then what is required for our team to have a good start, so that our middle order or the lower order have a good platform to launch in the last four-five overs.”
“So, as much as possible, we try to play the percentages and do whatever we can, so that most of the time, we come out on top. That’s our mindset when we enter the game. It’s not about going all out.
“We are assessing the conditions when we see what is required on this wicket and which will be the best score for our bowling team to defend, or, if we are chasing, what will be the best six overs we can have for a good final five overs,” he concluded.