Ahmedabad, April 5 – Gujarat Titans' stand-in captain Rashid Khan admitted that his team lost crucial momentum during the middle overs of the chase as they lost by six runs to Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing 211 after Rajasthan posted 210/6, Gujarat appeared well on course for much of the innings, especially with opener Sai Sudharsan anchoring the chase with a fluent knock. However, a cluster of wickets in the middle overs dented their progress before the Titans eventually finished at 204/8, falling short in the final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande.
Reflecting on the defeat, Rashid, who led the side in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill, felt that Gujarat's bowlers had done well to limit Rajasthan despite a strong start from the visitors.
“We bowled really well, especially the way they have started to restrict them to under 210. I think it was a great effort on this wicket by the bowlers. And then we started really well with the bat too. I felt we have given a great start with the openers. And then I felt in the 12th and 13th overs, we lost back-to-back wickets. That's something that really put us on the back foot. But I think, if they were there, it wasn't that hard to score, but I think in that period of time, we just lost the momentum of the game,” he said after the game.
The Afghan all-rounder said the surface at the venue was conducive for strokeplay and believed the chase was well within reach before the momentum shift.
“On a wicket like this, 9-10 runs per over is not that difficult. And I feel like we just lost a little momentum in that time and tried harder for a longer period. And the boundaries were coming. I think on this wicket, boundaries were coming easily. But I think we just lost a few early quick wickets in that period of time, which just didn't allow us to go on and keep the momentum till the end,” he added.
Despite the narrow loss, Rashid stressed that the team would regroup quickly as the tournament progresses.
“Everyone has their own game plan, and they know the conditions and situation really well. And then just to make sure that you read the conditions and the requirements of the game. Everything is written on the board. I feel like that makes the job pretty much easier, but it's still early; it's still in the competition. We learn from our mistakes, what we do, and we keep getting better and come back stronger in the next game,” he stated.
The Titans needed 11 runs off the final over, but Deshpande's accurate yorkers kept the batters in check. Rashid revealed that the middle of the discussion was straightforward: find one boundary to swing the equation.
“The discussion was clear, like, we just need to hit one boundary. And I feel like if we get there, I think we don't need much of the boundaries in that over. And I think Tushar bowled really well. He bowled some exceptional yorkers. We didn't allow us to go on, but I feel that the one ball which he missed his line length, I should have picked that for six,” he mentioned.
Rashid also provided an update on regular Gujarat captain Shubman Gill, who missed the game due to a muscle spasm, leading to Rashid captaining the side and youngster Kumar Kushagra making his debut as opener. “He's good. Hopefully, he's gonna be all right for the next game. He just had a muscle spasm, so hopefully he's gonna be all right soon.”