Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged a tactical error by Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill during his team's one-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, April 8.
The win opened GT's IPL 2026 account, but Pathan raised the issue in the last over of the powerplay. Gill turned to uncapped pacer Ashok Sharma against the set pair of KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka, with the pair scoring 23 runs in that over.
“It was a good decision to bowl Rashid in the powerplay. But they brought on Ashok for the last over. I thought it was a big mistake. KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka love pace. This guy gives pace, but the pitch was not suitable for him. If you give the last over of the powerplay to an inexperienced bowler on a black soil pitch, it is a mistake,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
However, the slip did not cost him the game. Defending 211 runs, GT relied on Prasidh Krishna in the final over, with the fast bowler restricting DC to 12 runs in the final over. Rashid Khan had earlier established the defense by dismissing Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi and Axar Patel, taking 3 wickets for 17 runs.
Praising the Afghanistan star, Pathan said, “The biggest positive for Gujarat was Rashid Khan's form. Rashid Khan was getting a lot of leg spin. He was getting a lot of spin in his first over. Now, when he gets so much turn on leg spin, it makes the googly even more dangerous.”
Rashid was named player of the match and has now taken five wickets at an economy of 7.08 in three matches this season. The 2022 champions had senior spinners from one end. That's why, for Pathan, there was no point in handing over the final powerplay to an uncapped bowler on a black soil pitch.
The Titans are sixth in the IPL 2026 standings and will next face Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in an afternoon match on Sunday, April 12.
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