“We absolutely should have defended 200”: GT Director of Cricket Viram Solanki following defeat against DC

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India]: Following the defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, the Gujarat Titans (GT) Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki said that the team should have defended the total of 200.

Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma’s brutal power-hitting stunned GT and helped PBKS register the highest successful chase in the ongoing IPL 2024 as they defeated last year’s finalists by 3 wickets here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.

The 48-year-old asserted that the Shubman Gill-led side did outstanding ground fielding but they dropped some catches which has made the difference in the game.

“We absolutely should have defended 200 and we were in the position. We probably let ourselves down in aspects of the game. We fielded very well in parts. Our ground fielding was outstanding but we put some chances down that would have made a difference,” Solanki said in the post-match press conference.
Solanki further lauded the PBKS batter Shashank Singh who played a match-winning performance in the fixture.

“I don’t think anybody gets surprised now with youngsters coming in and doing what they do. It’s the practice that goes into every franchise for sure. Batters are so dynamic in terms of what they are practising. It just shows that the skill levels are improving. I thought we could have executed a little bit better against him, but I was not surprised. He played very well, all credit to him,” GT’s director of cricket added.

Summarizing the match, Gill struck the highest individual score of the IPL 2024 – 89* and Rahul Tewatia came at the end to play a short cameo of 23* in a mere 8 delivers to power GT to 199/4 in the first inning.
In reply, Shashank Singh’s (61*) blitz and Ashutosh’s (31) rattled GT as they chased down the target and clinched a three-wicket victory for the Punjab Kings.

Following the win, the Punjab-based franchise stands in fifth place in the IPL 2024 standings with four points. On the other hand, Gujarat holds the sixth place with four points.