Sehwag Slams Shubman Gill’s Captaincy After Gujarat’s Loss to Punjab

Shubman Gill’s captaincy debut in IPL 2025 did not go as planned, with Gujarat Titans (GT) suffering an 11-run defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS).

The former IPL champions struggled in their chase of 244, and Indian cricket legend Virender Sehwag was not impressed with Gill’s tactical decisions, particularly his bowling changes.

Sehwag Criticizes Gill’s Decisions

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag stated:

“I thought that Shubman Gill's captaincy wasn't up to the mark, he wasn't ready, he wasn't proactive. When Siraj was bowling well, he brought on Arshad Khan, who I think conceded 21 runs in the powerplay and that over changed the momentum.”

Sehwag also questioned why Mohammed Siraj, who conceded just 14 runs in two overs, was taken off despite performing well.

“If Siraj is bowling well with the new ball, there is no point holding him back for the death overs. He also got hit in the end. So that proactive thinking was missing.”

Gill Reflects on Gujarat Titans’ Defeat

After the match, Gill admitted that Gujarat lost key moments, particularly in the middle overs and early powerplay.

“We got our chances when we were bowling and batting. Too many runs we conceded in the back end of the innings… Those three overs in the middle, we scored around 18 runs. That, and our first three overs, we didn't score many runs. That cost us the game.”

Despite the loss, Gill found positives in his team’s effort, praising his players for executing yorkers under pressure and adapting to conditions.

Gill on Balancing Captaincy and Batting

Ahead of IPL 2025, Gill emphasized the importance of keeping captaincy and batting separate to maintain focus.

“The more you keep the captaincy and batting separate, the better it is. When I am batting, I concentrate only on batting. When we are fielding, I focus on captaincy.”

Gill’s first full season as GT captain in 2024 ended poorly, with the team finishing eighth despite reaching back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023.

Now, Gujarat Titans will aim to bounce back in their upcoming matches, learning from their mistakes in the season opener.