When Jofra Archer is in rhythm, he’s a nightmare for any batter, and Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill was the latest to face the heat. Archer bowled a thunderbolt that sent Gill’s stumps flying, leaving the crowd stunned and reaffirming his tag as one of the most lethal pacers in the IPL. What made this dismissal even more compelling was the tactical build-up behind it.
Archer came into the match well aware of Gill’s vulnerability against him. Heading into this clash, the young Indian opener already had a poor record against Archer, and the English speedster didn’t miss the opportunity to extend that streak. With fiery pace and pinpoint accuracy, Archer executed the perfect plan to dismiss Gill, targeting the stumps with a searing in-swinger that sneaked past the bat and sent the off-stump cartwheeling.
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It wasn’t just raw pace—there was method in the madness. Archer’s ability to bring the ball back in sharply has often troubled Gill, especially early in the innings. The GT skipper has shown a tendency to leave a gap between bat and pad, and his head often falls slightly across—something that gets exposed against top-quality in-swingers. Archer exploited that weakness with surgical precision.
UNPLAYABLE! 🥵#JofraArcher is breathing fire with the new ball as #ShubmanGill falls prey to a peach of a delivery 🔥
Watch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/Bu2uqHSFdi #IPLonJioStar 👉 #GTvRR | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/TH9VDBFK80
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 9, 2025
The duel may have been brief, but it was enough to tilt the momentum Rajasthan Royals’ way early in the contest. For Archer, it was yet another head-to-head battle won. For Gill, it was a reminder that when Jofra’s in full flow, there’s little margin for error.
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Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Arshad Khan, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson(w/c), Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sandeep Sharma, Tushar Deshpande
