Gujarat Titans (GT) captain and India's Test captain Shubman Gill has broken his silence on the rumours around his rift with Mumbai Indians (MI) Hardik Pandya. Speculation about alleged traction between the two gained traction on social media after an awkward exchange during the toss for the IPL 2025 Eliminator match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans on May 30 at the New PCA stadium in Mullanpur. The two captains notably avoided their customary handshake, an incident that quickly went viral.
Shubman Gill dismisses rift rumors with Hardik Pandya
Fans online were quick to develop their own theories, largely concluding that relations between the two Indian teammates were strained. However, Gill promptly addressed these rumors, sharing a couple of photographs with Pandya on his Instagram story.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill quashed all the rumours and put an end to the the speculation by stating:
"Nothing but love. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet".
Shubman Gill's Instagram Story:
In the Eliminator match, a moment that further fueled speculation occurred when Hardik Pandya celebrated intensely in Shubman Gill's face following Gill's early dismissal. Gill was trapped lbw by Trent Boult for just 1 run off 2 balls during a massive 229-run chase. Despite losing their captain early, Sai Sudharsan (80 off 49) and Washington Sundar (48 off 24) kept the Gujarat Titans in contention with a crucial 84-run partnership. However, Jasprit Bumrah shifted the momentum back to Mumbai Indians by bowling Sundar with a devastating toe-crushing yorker. From that point, MI's bowlers tightened their grip, ultimately restricting GT to 208/6 in their 20 overs, registering a 20-run win. Mumbai Indians will now face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 on June 1. Whoever wins the match will storm into IPL 2025 final on Tuesday, June 3 where they will compete against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill's next assignment will be England tour where he will be leading Team in the five-match Test series which is slated to start from June 20. This series in English conditions will present a formidable challenge for Gill, both as a batter and a leader, as India aims to establish a new core for its red-ball future.