NEW DELHI: Expectations are high for captain Shubman Gill in IPL 2025, following the Gujarat Titans‘ impressive past performances. Making their IPL debut in 2022, Gujarat Titans, under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, made history by winning the title in their very first season. They maintained their strong form in 2023, reaching the final again, but narrowly lost to Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling encounter.
However, 2024 told a different story.
With Pandya’s move to Mumbai Indians, the captaincy was handed to Shubman Gill, but things didn’t go as planned for Gujarat Titans. The team had a disappointing season, winning only 5 out of 14 matches and finishing eighth, failing to make it past the league stage.
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Will captain Shubman feel the pressure in IPL 2025?
Gujarat Titans’ all-rounder Glenn Phillips believes the pressure of representing your country is far greater than any IPL captaincy pressure.
“It’s a team game. One guy can’t win it alone. I don’t think it has anything to do with Shubman or his captaincy,” Phillips told TimesofIndia.com during a media interaction arranged by Gujarat Titans.
“T20 cricket is more about who’s in form at the right time. Sunrisers and KKR were in top form for the tournament. The way they played in the first two years of the team’s journey was fantastic — they were in great form, and it was awesome. Hopefully, we are in form this year too. But I don’t think it has anything to do with Shubman or the pressure he’s under. He plays for India, and you don’t get much more pressure than that,” Phillips said.
‘BLESSED WITH STRONG GENETICS’
Phillips delivered a masterclass in fielding during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, pulling off sensational catches — including those of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. His electrifying presence on the field left fans in awe, with many hailing him as the ‘best fielder’ of this generation.
But it’s not just Glenn — his brother, Dale Phillips, has also made headlines for his stunning catches. One of his standout moments came during the Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, where he took a breathtaking grab.
With the Phillips brothers making waves with their exceptional fielding, is brilliance in the field simply in their DNA?
“I think we’ve definitely been blessed with strong genetics from an agility perspective, which gives us an edge in fielding. Additionally, our willingness and enjoyment of fielding probably set us apart from the average player who might not have the same enthusiasm for it,” Phillips said.
“I think, in terms of catching, a lot of the hard work was probably done when I was younger and didn’t have to worry as much about injuries. I did a lot of gymnastics and spent a lot of time on the trampoline with my brother — we were always flipping around. That definitely contributed to the agility side of things. But nowadays, most of the catches you get are pretty standard and straightforward. The real hard work comes from the sheer number of balls I’ve taken in my hands — trying to take around 50 catches in most training sessions if I can. I practice a variety of catches — straight at me, high balls, and different boundary catches as well. So, for me, it’s more about repetition than anything else,” he said.
“I probably don’t train as much for diving anymore, or at all, due to the risk of injury. But in a game, it’s definitely about mindset—I just throw myself around as much as possible and see how close I can get to some of those tough catches. And, luckily, a few of them tend to stick pretty well,” Phillips said.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
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