Gill's captaincy scrutinised as GT bow out with a defeat in IPL 2025 Eliminator

The tactics employed by Gujarat Titans in the do-or-die match in Mullanpur were termed 'reactive' rather than 'proactive'. The team, led by Shubman Gill, capped off the season with a 20-run defeat in the GT vs MI IPL 2025 Eliminator. Put in to field first, GT allowed MI to charge to a massive 228-run total, dropping multiple sitters in the first innings. In the chase, the skipper fell cheaply before Sudharsan and Sundar stabilised the ship. While Sudharsan threatened MI with his 81-run fight, GT eventually fell short by 20 runs as Mumbai Indians advanced to Qualifier 2.

Robin Uthappa criticises the captaincy calls of Shubman Gill in the GT vs MI IPL 2025 Eliminator

Now, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has criticized the calls taken by Shubman Gill in the IPL 2025 Eliminator. Uthappa didn’t hold back in criticizing Gill's leadership after Gujarat Titans bowed out of the IPL 2025 on Friday. Despite a fightback by Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar in the chase, GT suffered a 20-run loss to Mumbai Indians in Mullanpur as 229 proved too many runs to chase in the crucial battle.

It marked the third consecutive match where GT’s bowling unit failed to contain the opposition, conceding runs far too easily. The fielding didn’t help matters either, as Rohit Sharma benefited from two dropped catches during the powerplay. The first was dropped by Gerald Coetzee off Prasidh Krishna, while the second, an easier chance, was missed by wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis off Mohammed Siraj.

Unlike his approach during the league phase, Shubman Gill introduced Prasidh Krishna during the powerplay this time around. The lanky seamer has been the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025, though the majority of his scalps came in the middle overs. He wrapped up his season with 25 wickets from 15 matches. Meanwhile, Uthappa questioned the move by the Gujarat Titans captain.

“GT’s strategy was more reactive than proactive. Using Prasidh in the powerplay, despite his success in middle overs, was a misstep. His first over was expensive, and they failed to course-correct,” Uthappa said. “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,” he added. 

The captain's performance with the bat also left much to be desired. He managed only a single run before being trapped leg-before by Trent Boult, adding to the woes of the Titans in the high-stakes clash. However, despite the off day, the young captain wrapped up his IPL 2025 campaign on a strong note overall, having scored 650 runs in 15 outings, averaging 50 with an impressive strike rate of 155.87.