Shubman Gill ‘will learn to make tactical decisions’

Gujarat Titans might have made a topsy-turvy start to IPL 2024, but their mentor, Gary Kirsten, backed Shubman Gill and said the young captain will learn the nuances of making tactical decisions in the fast-paced world of T20 cricket.

Gujarat Titans, the IPL 2022 winner and current runners-up, are now seventh on the table with two points from as many matches after a win over Mumbai Indians and a defeat against Chennai Super Kings.

“It’s a fast game. You make tactical decisions on a regular basis. It’s not like Test cricket, which unfolds over a long period of time.

“I’ve been impressed with how he’s conducted himself as a leader,” Kirsten told the media on the eve of GT’s day game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Kirsten said Gill, who took over as GT skipper after Hardik Pandya moved to MI, has adjusted to his role well.

“I think he’s embraced it (captaincy) well. He’s shown some good leadership qualities. He’s a smart guy. He’s a young captain with lots to learn, especially in T20. So, he’ll learn along the way.” Kirsten admitted that the Titans were well below par in their big 63-run defeat against the Super Kings, which also affected their net run rate.

“As with any cricket team, you want to play to the best of your ability. We weren’t good enough that day (against CSK). I think we’ve acknowledged that, and we’ve had our conversations about what we need to do to better utilize our skills.

“Every team has different strengths, and we didn’t show that in the CSK game, and we just got to move on,” he said.

The former South African cricketer stressed that GT should not repeat the errors they made against Chennai, considering the importance of net run rate in the tournament.

“We have lost one match by a big margin. We have to make that up. We know that teams end up on the same points, and one goes through them (based on NRR). So, it’s something that we are constantly mindful of. But we’ll need a really good win somewhere,” he detailed.