IPL 2026: Anil Kumble identifies Gujarat Titans’ two biggest match winners after dominant win vs RR

Gujarat Titans delivered a dominant all-round performance to beat Rajasthan Royals by 77 runs on Saturday, and former India spinner Anil Kumble was full of praise for skipper Shubman Gill and star spinner Rashid Khan after the match.

Gill once again anchored the innings with a classy knock, while Rashid produced a match-winning spell as GT comfortably outplayed the hosts at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Gill leads from the front with another classy knock

Batting first, Gujarat Titans posted a strong 229/4, with Shubman Gill once again leading from the front. The captain looked in good touch as he made a fluent 84 and helped set up a huge total.

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Kumble was impressed with Gill’s calm and composed style of batting, calling him one of the most aesthetically pleasing batters in modern cricket.

“Shubman Gill is one of the most pleasing batters to watch in modern cricket. 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 cpntrol. That is what separates him from many power hitters,” Kumble told Jio Hotstar.

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Ability to bat deep makes Gill special: Kumble

Kumble said Gill’s biggest strength is making his starts count, often turning them into big scores that give Gujarat solid totals.

“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. That is exactly what we saw from Shubman Gill against Rajasthan Royals,” he added.

Rashid Khan turns game with fiery spell

Chasing a huge target, Rajasthan Royals never really got going as Rashid Khan ripped through their batting line-up with a brilliant spell of 4/33. The home side were eventually bowled out for 152 in 16.3 overs.

Kumble also spoke highly of Rashid’s impact, especially his return to bowling quicker deliveries, which made him far more dangerous.

“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.

Pace through the air remains Rashid’s biggest weapon

According to Kumble, Rashid’s effectiveness comes from his ability to rush batters rather than relying only on spin or flight.

“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,” he added.

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