We bowled well to take early wickets: Shubman Gill

In a low-scoring thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Delhi Capitals edged past Gujarat Titans by five runs to record their third win in nine league matches. 

After opting to bat first, the visiting side were rattled early in the innings as Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc with a four-wicket haul in the early phases of the game. 

The Capitals were 23 for five in the powerplay before Axar Patel, Aman Khan, and Ripal Patel rebuilt the innings. Aman was the star performer for the side with the bat as he scored 51 off 44 deliveries to help the team post 130 for eight in their quota of 20 overs. 

In the post-match press conference, the Mumbaikar stated it was a relief to score a maiden half-century in a winning cause. "It is very satisfying because we have won the game. Having some run behind me helps, and I can go into the next game with more confidence."

The last month has been really difficult as the games have not gone our way and we have lost a couple of close matches. I don't know what the qualification looks like, but we are looking to win all the games from hereon. 

"In the previous game against Hyderabad, I went in a similar situation and threw my wicket away, and I was very disappointed with that. I was not even going to play today, and it was only because Mitchell Marsh was sick I got the opportunity and wanted to grab it," he added. 

In reply, the defending champions stuttered in the modest run chase and were reeling at 32 for four in 6.4 overs. Despite a 62-run stand for the fifth wicket between Abhinav Manohar and Hardik Pandya and some big blows by Rahul Tewatia, the Titans fell short by five runs. 

"The wicket was a bit difficult to bat on, and I felt we bowled really well in the first innings to take early wickets. I think with the bat, we couldn't really stitch any partnerships at the top, which resulted in a lot of pressure on the lower order," said Shubman Gill who managed only six runs off seven deliveries. 

"We lost only by five runs, and it is mainly because there were no significant partnerships at the top of the order. The odd ball was stopping and coming onto the bat, and their spinners bowled really well on this wicket to control the game. It was difficult for us to hit boundaries."

"I think at that moment, if one of Hardik or Manohar would have gotten out, it would have been even more difficult for us. We should give credit to Delhi for the way they bowled because I feel they executed their yorkers pretty well and made it difficult for us to hit boundaries in the back end," he concluded. 

Gujarat Titans will travel to Jaipur for their next fixture against Rajasthan Royals on Friday, May 5, while the Capitals will host Royal Challengers Bangalore in an evening encounter on May 6.