Former India spinner Anil Kumble on Saturday praised Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan for their match-winning contributions in the team's commanding 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Gill anchored Gujarat's innings with a composed 84 as the visitors posted 229/4, while Rashid dismantled Rajasthan's chase with a superb spell of 4-33, restricting the hosts to 152 all out in 16.3 overs.

Gill's elegant approach

Kumble highlighted Gill's ability to blend controlled strokeplay with consistency, setting him apart from aggressive power hitters. "Shubman Gill is one of the most pleasing batters to watch in modern cricket," Kumble told Jio Hotstar. "There is nothing overly flashy about his game. He relies on playing each ball on its merit. Even when he goes for big shots, he remains in complete control. That is what separates him from many power hitters."

Converting starts into substance

Kumble identified Gill's greatest strength as his capacity to bat deep and convert starts into long, impactful innings. "The best part of his batting is his ability to bat deep. Once he is set, he takes the game deep and converts starts into long, impactful innings. When your top-order batter does that, it puts the team in a very strong position. It becomes much easier to push the total past 200," Kumble added. This approach, he noted, directly contributed to Gujarat's commanding total against Rajasthan.

Rashid's pace-first bowling

Kumble analysed Rashid's four-wicket haul in detail, attributing his effectiveness to a deliberate return to bowling with greater pace through the air. "Rashid Khan attacked the stumps relentlessly and executed his plans to perfection. He's a bowler who loves bowling quicker through the air but last season and even in the first half of this IPL season, he had reduced his pace, and that affected his effectiveness. Against RR, however, his pace was spot on," Kumble said.

Speed over deception

Kumble explained that Rashid's quicker, skidding deliveries remain his primary weapon in T20 cricket because they rush batters into errors rather than relying on traditional spin deception. "He beat most of the batters with pure speed rather than relying on flight or turn. Most spinners deceive batters by looping the ball in the air. Rashid does it by rushing them with extra pace. That has always been his strength. When he bowls those quicker, skidding deliveries that go away from the batter, it creates confusion and often leads to mistakes," Kumble concluded. This tactical shift proved decisive in Gujarat's dominant display.