'He has a lot to learn...': David Miller shows support for struggling Shubman Gill after RCB loss

In a high-intensity T20 match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged victorious over Gujarat Titans by securing a 4-wicket win with 38 balls left. The GT posted a competitive total of 147 runs in 19.3 overs with notable contributions from Shahrukh Khan (37 off 24) and Rahul Tewatia (35 off 21). However, Faf du Plessis' explosive 64 off 23 and Virat Kohli's 42 off 27 led RCB to victory, with Mohammed Siraj named the Player of the Match for his excellent bowling performance of 2/29. Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Noor Ahmad also made significant contributions, emerging as key bowlers for GT. This exhilarating encounter showcased the true spirit of T20 cricket, packed with thrilling moments.

Also Read: 'I was really ill for the last few days': Mohammed Siraj reveals ordeal

David Miller backs struggling GT captain Shubman Gill after loss against RCB

Shubman Gill faces a challenging start to his captaincy with the Gujarat Titans. Senior player David Miller expressed support, noting the 24-year-old's gradual adaptation to the leadership role. The Titans, former champions and recent runners-up, currently hold the ninth position in the league standings, making playoff prospects uncertain.

“Shubman is an exceptional player, as we all know. He is still young and has a lot to learn. But I feel he is adjusting really well to the captaincy.

"But I feel it's a tough one too because the margins are so small,” said Miller in his post-match press meet after GT went down to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets on Saturday.

Miller also pointed out that the team's inefficiency with the ball in the Power Play could be attributed to the absence of experienced pacer Mohammed Shami, who is currently recovering from an ankle surgery.

“Shami, obviously, was really exceptional in the power play. So, we feel like we kind of miss him in the power play, as he picked up wickets and kept the economy rate down,” said Miller.

The Titans leaked 92 runs in the Power Play against RCB while defending a modest 148, and that tilted the match decisively in favour of the home side.

The Gujarat side themselves were underwhelming in the Power Play with the bat, making just 23 runs, which was also the lowest by any team this season in that particular passage.

In fact, GT’s power play run-rate of 7.54 and strike-rate of 118.43 are the lowest among the 10 teams in this IPL, and they also have scored the least number of runs in the first six overs – 469.

The South African left-hander admitted that the Titans have misfired at the top – with bat and ball.

“Their (RCB bowlers) lengths were a lot better than ours. But we just missed our length, and in the first two, two and a half, three overs where they were already on like 50-60 runs.

"It just looked like they (GT bowlers) were a little bit too far full. I think we were a little bit behind the 8-ball in the power play with our batting and bowling,” he detailed.

Unpacking the season so far for the Titans, Miller said they have not been able to win tight games, something the team excelled in the last couple of years.

“There are certain games that we potentially should have won, that we did lose and were pretty close. If we had won those two games, things would have been very different.

"We won crucial moments (last year) and this year we just haven't been able to win those crucial moments, hence losing the close games,” he added. 

(With PTI inputs)