Gujarat Titans (GT) faced heavy criticism after their 20-run loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator. Former India batter Robin Uthappa tore into Shubman Gill’s captaincy, calling it “more reactive than proactive”, as GT’s campaign ended in disappointment.
Questionable Captaincy Decisions Backfire
Uthappa highlighted Gill’s misuse of key bowler Prasidh Krishna as a major turning point. Krishna, who had excelled in the middle overs throughout the season, was brought in to bowl during the powerplay. The decision proved costly as he leaked runs early and disrupted GT’s game plan.
“Using Prasidh in the powerplay — despite his success in the middle — was a misstep. GT’s strategy was more reactive than proactive,” said Uthappa on JioStar.
Prasidh still finished the season as the leading wicket-taker for GT with 25 wickets in 15 matches, but his powerplay use in the Eliminator left experts baffled.
Dropped Catches Compound GT’s Woes
GT’s fielding added to their troubles. Rohit Sharma was dropped twice in the powerplay — once by Gerald Coetzee and another by Kusal Mendis. Rohit capitalized on these errors, smashing a match-defining 81 off 50 balls.
“The 26-run and 22-run overs proved costly. On top of that, their fielding let them down. You can’t drop that many catches and expect to win a championship,” Uthappa added.
Gill Fails with the Bat, Despite Strong Season
Gill, who was recently named India’s new Test captain, had a forgettable outing with the bat, scoring just 1 run before falling to Trent Boult. Despite this, he ended the season with an impressive 650 runs in 15 matches, averaging 50 with a strike rate of 155.87.
Uthappa also praised Rohit Sharma’s temperament after the early drops:
“Rohit flirted with danger briefly but then took control. His composure and ability to build partnerships made the difference.”
He further noted that Sai Sudharsan is beginning to show similar qualities to legends like Dhoni, Kohli, and Rohit.
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