Jos Buttler revealed that Shubman Gill planned a counter-attack on Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood when Gujarat Titans take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Chasing 156, all guns blazing, Gill scored 43 off 18 balls with four fours and three sixes. Riding on his knock, the Titans secured a four-wicket victory and chased down the target with 25 balls to spare. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood earlier wreaked havoc on Delhi Capitals, reducing them to 13 to six on the power play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium a few days earlier.
But instead of going into his shell and being cautious, Gill planned an aggressive counter-attack to disrupt the lines and lengths of RCB’s pacers. Buttler credited Gill for playing with intent and not allowing the opposition to settle into any rhythm.
GT vs RCB: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“Shubman talked about giving them (RCB pacers) their length and he deserves credit for that. They were such good bowlers initially so we tried to change their lengths,” Buttler said after the match.
“Shubman Gill’s knock gave us confidence”
Gill started with a four and a six off Bhuvneshwar, but it was in the second that he became enragedwith Hazlewood on 24 runs. Gill completely dominated Hazlewood, setting the tone with fearless intent. The GT skipper raced down the track, picking it up over the middle, cutting it past the point and finding gaps with ease.
Gill then launched a six over long-on and flicked a six, asserting his authority in a commanding display. Buttler said Gill’s early attack effectively killed the run chase, put the Titans firmly in control and made them strong favorites to cross the finish line.
“Phenomenal. He talked about it before the match. When your leader does what he talked about against a top bowler, so calmly, clinically, he gave us a lot of confidence and broke the back of the chase early,” Buttler added.
Gill has been terrific for RCB in IPL 2026, having already scored 373 runs from eight matches at an average of 46.62 and a strike rate of 155.41, including three fifties and a top score of 86 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
While Gill was at his best with the bat, Buttler was not far behind. Batting at No.3, he smashed 39 off 19 balls with two fours and four sixes, getting the required run-rate well below the run-a-ball.
With GT still outside the top four, Gill and Buttler have a big task ahead of them when they take on table-toppers Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 3.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
01 May 2026 02:00 IST
