IPL 2025: Will Shubman Gill be cleared to lead Gujarat Titans in Motera face-off?

Shubman Gill (Pic: X/@gujarat_titans)

Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill is nearing recovery from a back spasm, but his fitness will be under scrutiny during the training session ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), confirmed Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki.

"His fitness, there was a bit of a back spasm. We're just trying to be careful with it. He'll be at training today. We'll just see where he's at. We're reasonably confident that he's going to be OK," said Solanki.

Gill was notably absent during GT's encounter with Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 28, where he did not take the field and was replaced by pacer Ishant Sharma under the Impact Player rule.

In Gill's absence, leadership duties were passed on to star all-rounder Rashid Khan. That match also witnessed a sensational performance from Rajasthan's young talent, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who stunned the crowd with a blistering 35-ball century.

Also Read: GT vs SRH, IPL 2025: Dream 11 prediction, probable playing XIs, head-to-head stats, injuries & more

Speaking about the 14-year-old's ton, Solanki said, "Firstly, I don't think the team has been decimated or anything of the sort. We mustn't take any credit away from that young man. He played quite brilliantly."

The 49-year-old former cricketer feels that his side could have bowled in a more controlled manner against Suryavanshi.

"Of course, we could have done things differently. We could have bowled in a slightly more controlling manner, we could have sort of shut him down perhaps," he said.

Solanki praised Suryavanshi for his stunning knock and credited RR management for spotting him. "He was quite phenomenal against us. But I don't think you can decide an appropriate age, there's no perfect age. If somebody is ready to play at a certain level, I think they should be allowed the opportunity and exposure to be able to do so".

"Credit to Rajasthan Royals for spotting that talent and then giving that talent the opportunity," said the former England cricketer.

Ahead of their upcoming IPL 2025 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Solanki said that GT should be conscious of the potential that Hyderabad carries.

"We must pay the due respect that SRH deserves. They are a very strong team. We will be conscious of the threat that they have. They've got match winners across their team," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)