IPL 2025 | Ishant backs Indian core to deliver for Gujarat Titans
Bengaluru: The Indian Premier League came to a sudden, unexpected standstill with the India-Pakistan military stand-off. However, after a week of chaos and caution, the league resumed with Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
IPL 2025 Talking about the Gujarat Titans’ break in momentum, Ishant Sharma said that they were told the tournament might not happen initially, but were soon informed that the team would travel to Ahmedabad.
“We were told that the IPL won’t happen. Almost all foreigners went back. We then found out that we had to go to Ahmedabad. It was a 360-degree turn. Once we were there, we started to practice,” Ishant said in the Star Sports Press Room.
The Titans have been a formidable unit and sit with 16 points in 11 matches and are just a win away from securing a spot in the play-offs.
The key to their fantastic showing has been their clarity of thought and effort behind the scenes.
“I have not seen anyone train like we do. Our training at times starts at 3:00 pm and we return to the hotel at 1:00 am. We don’t think about our flaws but we trust our strengths. If you think about the flaws, it creates doubt, and that is not a good thing,” he said.
Talking about the internationals’ availability for the tournament, Ishant did not complicate things and backed their Indian core to succeed.
IPL 2025 “Even before, we did not have many international players. Rabada was out after a few games. We have a good Indian fast bowling set-up. We are a side that does not think too far ahead. We take one game at a time.”
The 36-year-old also recalled his U-19 days with Virat Kohli, who recently retired from Test cricket.
“I think Virat Kohli (the star) is for outside people. I can’t see him like that because we played in the U-17s. He is a childhood friend to me,” Ishant recalled.
“When we were in the U-19s, we used to count how much money we had. We used to eat food. When we used to go to the U-19s, we used to save our TAs and take them with us. So, Virat Kohli is different for everyone. He is different for me,” he said.
