IPL 2021: We Would Have An Edge Against Delhi Capitals, Asserts Shubman Gill

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Shubman Gill said that his team would have an edge against Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2.

On Monday, KKR defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets in the Eliminator game at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

After opting to bat first, RCB posted a meagre total of 138/7 as West Indies spinner Sunil Narine wreaked havoc with the ball as he picked the crucial wickets of skipper Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell to end with the figures of 4/21.

Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling in middle overs was tremendous: Shubman Gill

Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy backed Narine with his stupendous efforts to control runs from the other, although he went wicketless in the match. New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson chipped in with a couple of wickets to keep RCB at bay.

Gill hailed their bowlers for coming back stronger against RCB, who threatened to post a huge score after scoring 53 runs in the powerplay overs.

“I think we would have an edge against the Delhi Capitals. The first powerplay was totally against us, but the way we came back with Varun and Sunny [ Sunil Narine] bowling in the middle overs was tremendous, getting those key wickets and building pressure on them,” Gill told the official broadcasters after the match. 

I didn’t have the best first leg in India: Shubman Gill

Ahead of the second leg of IPL 2021, KKR were placed at the seventh position, having won just two games from seven matches in India. But Eoin Morgan and his men have displayed their resilience since they came to UAE and are one match away from reaching the final of the tournament.

Gill himself didn’t have a great start to the season as he made 132 runs from seven innings without scoring a fifty in IPL 2021. But the KKR opener regained his form in UAE and added 249 runs in the tournament’s second phase.

“Big win for us! When we were coming into the second leg, not many gave us a chance of qualifying and getting to the playoffs. But the way everyone has played is tremendous, and hopefully, we will carry on the good form,” Gill said.

“I didn’t have the best first leg in India, but I knew that I was batting well and just a matter of spending time in the middle. So that was the conversation with the coach,” he added.

KKR will meet Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday (October 13).

Also Read: IPL 2021: When Venkatesh Iyer Keeps The Run Flow Going, We Don’t Really Pay Attention To Shubman Gill’s Strike-Rate