“Washington Sundar’s innings was extremely important because it addressed a key question around GT middle order”: Ravichandran Ashwin

R Ashwin On GT: Gujarat Titans held their nerve and recorded a four-wicket thriller against Punjab Kings in their TATA IPL 2026 fixture. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, JioStar experts Ravichandran Ashwin and Mitchell McClenaghan analysed GT’s batting approach, Washington Sundar’s contribution, and Jason Holder’s crucial spell.

R Ashwin On GT

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Ravichandran Ashwin lavished praise on GT’s approach in the chase:

“Gujarat Titans were once again incredibly composed in the way they approached the chase. Their batting may not always look explosive, but it’s highly methodical and built around understanding conditions. On pitches like these, where 160–170 is a competitive score, it’s about controlling the game and executing your plans rather than chasing big numbers. They’ve shown remarkable consistency over the years with this approach, and credit goes to both, the management and the players, for sticking to their process and getting the job done under pressure.”

On Washington Sundar’s innings,

“Washington Sundar’s innings was extremely important because it addressed a key question around Gujarat Titans’ middle order. While a lot of their runs come from the top three, contributions like this show the depth they have. Sundar has often been used as a flexible option, but he stepped up, handled the pressure well, and ensured the chase was completed. It might not have looked flashy, but it was a very composed and clinical effort to get the team over the line.”

Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Mitchell McClenaghan analysed Sai Sudharsan’s consistency:

“Sai Sudharsan is in excellent form. Once he gets going, he tends to carry that momentum through the innings. What stood out was his composure in challenging conditions. He built key partnerships and ensured the chase stayed on track. From Punjab Kings’ perspective, they didn’t quite adjust their plans to him. They allowed him to access his strengths, especially square of the wicket, and kept offering pace, which suited him. At this level, you need to adapt to the batter, even if conditions suggest otherwise. He never really had to step out of his comfort zone and controlled the game throughout.”

On Jason Holder’s spell

“Jason Holder was outstanding because of his discipline with length. He consistently hit that hard length, right around the six-to-eight metre mark, which made life difficult for the batters. With his height, the extra bounce becomes a real challenge; the ball climbs onto the splice and is hard to control. He didn’t offer width either. So, there were very few scoring opportunities. On top of that, he mixed in his variations smartly and even got some sideways movement later in the innings. It was a complete spell, perfectly suited to the conditions.”

Also Read: “Jason Holder’s presence has taken Gujarat Titans to a different level”: Cheteshwar Pujara