In a game that produced the sixth-highest run-aggregate in IPL history, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill pointed to three Powerplay overs and three overs leading up to the finish as the ones that got away from his team as they fell 12 short in a chase of 244 against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad.
Fourteen overs in, GT needed seventy-five off 36 balls with eight wickets in hand. With Jos Buttler set and Sherfane Rutherford showing great hitting form, PBKS were under the pump when Vijaykumar Vyshak, brought in as Impact Sub, conceded just 10 runs across the 15th and 17th overs, either side of a tight 16th from Marco Jansen. At the end of that three-over passage, GT were left needing 57 off 18.
"I think those three overs in the middle, I think we scored around 18 runs. So, I think that, and I think our first three overs, we didn't score that many runs [GT scored 17]," Gill said. "So I think those six overs where we scored around 30-40 runs cost us the game. Apart from that, many positives for us today, a good start to the tournament, I'd say."
GT would also look back on their last eight overs with the ball, where they conceded 135; Shreyas Iyer and Shashank Singh hit 81 of those in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 81 off just 28 balls. Iyer remained unbeaten on 97, and Shashank on a 16-ball 44. The final over off Mohammed Siraj cost 23.
"We got our chances when we were bowling as well and when we were batting as well," Gill said. "Too many runs we conceded in the back end of the innings. But I think we also let ourselves down in our fielding. A few catches here and there and a few misfields. When you are chasing 240-250, it's always going to be tough [if you drop catches]."
Gill was magnanimous in his praise for Vyshak's readiness as an Impact Player. Vyshak bowled three overs back-to-back from the 15th over onwards, with a clear plan to keep bowling wide yorkers and take the ball away from the batters' hitting arc, a tough plan to execute given the dewy conditions. Vyshak's three overs went for just 28.
"It's not easy, you know, coming in as an impact player and delivering those yorkers," Gill said. "It's never easy for someone who's been on the bench for almost 15 overs. But I think credit to them, the way they bowled yorkers."
Arshdeep on Vyshak's plans: 'If you miss, miss on the wider side'
Arshdeep Singh, who took 2 for 36 in four overs, threw light on the plan Vyshak came in with.
"The thought was simple and very clear - make them hit to the off side," Arshdeep said. "It won't be easy to hit there. If they hit a good shot, clap, say well played, and execute another one. Really happy for him, he's putting in the hard yards at practice, and was executing yorkers really well, and the results showed in the game as well.
"The plan was if you are going to miss, miss on the wider side and not on the stumps. It does slip a bit with dew around but the plan was just bowl as wide as possible, even if it slips, it's a full-toss, it won't be easy for them to hit, because it's very far from their reach."
Arshdeep also credited PBKS's batters for setting the platform and being able to sustain the same tempo through their innings. "There is no par score - 240-250-260 - score as much as possible and then try and defend it."