Shubman Gill Admits RCB and CSK Have an Added Advantage Even Before a Single Ball is Bowled

On his 'shush' celebration aimed at CSK fans, GT skipper Shubman Gill suggested that it was a response to the emotional nature of the game.

Shubman Gill Admits RCB and CSK Have an Added Advantage Even Before a Single Ball is Bowled

Shubman Gill admitted that teams like RCB and CSK enjoy crowd support, even in Ahmedabad. (via Outlook)

Preparing for the IPL playoffs, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill made an admission regarding fan support. He exclaimed that franchises such as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Chennai Super Kings hold an advantage, even before the first ball of a match. 

Gujarat Titans ended the league stages of IPL 2026 on a high, with a thumping 89-run win over Chennai Super Kings at their home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Batting first, GT raced to a total of 229/4, courtesy knocks from Sai Sudharsan (84 off 53), Shubman Gill (64 off 37), and Jos Buttler (57* off 27). The massive 230-run target was a daunting one for the visitors, and they were bowled out for a mere 140 in 13.4 overs. Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, and Rashid Khan picked three wickets each.

The Titans secured their second victory of the season against the Super Kings. It seems that the rivalry between the two teams, who faced off in the 2023 final, has intensified due to GT skipper Shubman Gill’s banter. He was visibly annoyed by the crowd in Ahmedabad, which was predominantly sporting yellow in support of CSK. After taking a catch to dismiss Shivam Dube in the 11th over of Chennai’s chase, Gill made a ‘shush’ gesture toward the crowd to silence them.

Dube had already scored a rapid 47 runs off 17 balls when he mistimed a length ball from Rashid Khan. Gill, sprinting backward from cover, pulled off a spectacular diving catch and immediately turned towards the crowd and put his finger to his lips. Shubman Gill did not stop there, later sharing a social media post with the same gesture, alongside teammates Mohammed Siraj and Jos Buttler doing the same. 

At the post-match presser, Gill acknowledged that his team is impacted by the enormous crowd support commanded by franchises like CSK and RCB. He pointed out that these teams possess an advantage, which persists even when playing at GT’s home ground in Ahmedabad, a situation he believes is unlikely to change.

Earlier during the season, following a win against the Royal Challengers, Gill had also subtly mocked the team, by using a caption referencing their tagline, ‘Play Bold’.

And when you’re playing franchises like RCB and CSK, you know that they’re gonna have an edge wherever they play. So, nothing is gonna change for us in that matter.

Coming back to CSK, it seems to have now become a trend for rival teams and players to mock the five-time IPL-winning franchise. Just days ago, Ishan Kishan made an animated gesture towards the Chepauk crowd by mimicking their ‘Whistle-Podu’ celebration.

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Ex-India star anoints Shubman Gill as IPL 2026’s ‘best’ captain following GT’s victory over CSK

Former India all-rounder Mohammad Kaif declared Shubman Gill as IPL 2026’s best captain, following GT’s win over CSK in their final league stage match. Kaif praised the 26-year-old’s leadership style, tactical clarity, and the way he has managed his players. 

Mohammad Kaif on Shubman Gill
Mohammad Kaif named Shubman Gill as IPL 2026’s ‘best’ captain. (via NDTV Sports)

Gill had an impressive outing with the bat against CSK. He scored 64 runs off 37 balls, with his knock including 7 fours and 3 sixes, at a strike-rate of 172.97, and was the primary aggressor in GT’s batting effort until his dismissal in the 13th over. On the field, he continued his strong day by taking a spectacular catch to remove Shivam Dube and brilliantly executing a run-out of Kartik Sharma.

After GT eventually crushed CSK, Kaif took to social media to praise Gill and his captaincy. He backed the 26-year-old and went on to declare that the GT skipper has been this season’s best captain. Kaif pointed to the way Gill has managed his bowlers this season, with the Titans’ attack including Mohammad Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Jason Holder and Prasidh Krishna, having taken 108 wickets in 14 games so far. He wrote on X:

For me Shubman Gill is this IPL’s best captain… Gill asks his bowlers to stick to the Test match line and length. Gill plays correct cricket, has great batting technique and knows how to use his bowlers.

Gill is also among the season’s highest run-getters, having scored 616 runs in 13 matches at an average of 47.38, including six half-centuries. The knock against the Super Kings also made him the 7th fastest batter to complete 6000 T20 runs.

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