Shubman Gill gets brutally hammered by Virender Sehwag after Gujarat Titans' loss to Punjab Kings

Former India opener Virender Sehwag criticized Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill for his leadership in their IPL 2025 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). The cricketer-turned-commentator said that Gill’s captaincy was not up to the mark, adding that one of his decisions shifted the momentum of the game.

The 2022 champions started their IPL 2025 campaign on a disappointing note. They suffered an 11-run defeat against the Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25. GT's bowlers were hammered by Punjab’s batters, and Gill's bowling changes were not perfect during the match.

Shubman Gill’s Captaincy Wasn’t Up to the Mark - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag said that Shubman Gill was neither prepared nor proactive. Sehwag pointed out that Gill's bowling changes were questionable, especially his decision to replace Siraj with Arshad Khan, who conceded 21 runs in his first over.

“I thought that Shubman Gill’s captaincy wasn’t up to the mark, he wasn’t ready, he wasn’t proactive. When Siraj was bowling well, he brought on Arshad Khan, who I think conceded 21 runs in the powerplay, and that over changed the momentum," Sehwag said while speaking on Cricbuzz.

Shubman Gill captained the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024. He also led Team India in a T20I series against Zimbabwe. He has been promoted to vice-captain in India’s ODI squad.

No Point Holding Him Back for Death Overs - Virender Sehwag

Mohammed Siraj conceded 14 runs in his first two overs. However, Shubman Gill opted to bring in medium-pacer Arshad Khan. Arshad managed to generate some swing with the new ball, but Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya smashed four boundaries in the over. It helped Punjab to continue its dominance.

“If Siraj is bowling well with the new ball, there is no point holding him back for the death overs, and you see he also got hit in the end. A captain should have the proactive-ness to know that if one of his bowlers is doing well, he should have an extended spell," Sehwag added.

During Gujarat’s steep run chase, Gill scored a brisk 33 off 14 balls. However, his innings ended when he was dismissed by Glenn Maxwell in the final over of the powerplay.

Shreyas Iyer Falls Just Three Runs Short of Maiden IPL Century

Punjab Kings posted 243/5 after being asked to bat first. Priyansh Arya (47 off 23) provided a strong start before captain Shreyas Iyer and Shashank Singh smashed Gujarat’s bowlers. Shreyas scored an unbeaten 97 off 42 balls, smashing five fours and nine sixes, while Shashank finished with an unbeaten 44 off 16.

For the Titans, all bowlers except Sai Kishore conceded over 10 runs per over. The pace trio of Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Prasidh Krishna failed to make an impact, while Rashid Khan also went wicketless.

In response, GT scored 232/5, falling short by 11 runs. Sai Sudharsan (74 off 41) and Jos Buttler (54 off 33) chipped in with the bat, but their efforts weren’t enough. Iyer was named 'Player of the Match' for his brilliant batting performance.

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