IPL 2025: Shubman Gill Reveals Black Soil Pitch Strategy After GT’s Dominant Win Over MI
Shubman Gill Reveals Black Soil Pitch Strategy After GT’s Dominant Win Over MI
Gujarat Titans captain explains tactical pitch selection and praises pace attack after sealing a 36-run victory over Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, March 30: Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill shed light on the tactical use of a black soil pitch after his side’s 36-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2025 encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Gill revealed that the team had pre-decided to use the black soil surface for the second home game, capitalizing on its unique characteristics that make boundary-hitting difficult once the ball gets older.
“The decision was made before the first match itself,” Gill said at the post-match presentation. “Batting second on this pitch becomes challenging as the ball gets older—it grips and holds. So, we focused on maximizing the powerplay while batting first.”
🔹 Tactical Changes & Trust in Pace
The skipper also surprised many by not using Rashid Khan’s full quota of overs, despite the Afghan spinner’s match-winning potential.
“I kept Rashid bhai for the back-end, but our pacers were bowling really well, especially Prasidh (Krishna). So, I went with the flow and stuck with pace,” Gill explained.
The move paid off, as Prasidh Krishna (2/18) and Mohammed Siraj (2/34) delivered fiery spells that dismantled MI’s chase.
🔹 Gujarat’s Innings: Fast Start, Late Collapse
Batting first, GT’s openers Gill (38) and Sai Sudharsan (63) stitched together a 78-run opening stand. Sudharsan later shared another fifty-run partnership with Jos Buttler (39).
Though GT was on course for 200+, they lost quick wickets in the death overs, collapsing from 179/3 to 196/8.
🔹 Mumbai’s Struggle in the Chase
Chasing 197, MI lost Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton early. A brief recovery by Tilak Varma (39) and Suryakumar Yadav (48) raised hopes, but once the pair fell, the innings unraveled.
MI finished at 160/6, still 36 runs short, continuing their winless streak against GT in Ahmedabad (0-4).
🔹 Bowling Brilliance
While GT pacers shone, MI’s bowling unit saw Hardik Pandya (2/29) lead the effort, supported by Boult, Chahar, Mujeeb, and Raju, who picked up a wicket each.
📊 GT vs MI Head-to-Head in Ahmedabad:
GT – 4 wins | MI – 0 wins
With this win, Gujarat Titans now sit comfortably on the points table and have built strong momentum heading into their next matches.
