In the age of social media, even the smallest gestures can be blown out of proportion. And that's exactly what happened ahead of the Eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
A brief and awkward moment during the toss involving Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya where the usual captain’s handshake was noticeably skipped - set a speculation about a rift between the two Indian stars.
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Clips of the exchange quickly spread online, with fans reading into every expression and body language cue. Adding to that, Pandya’s animated celebration following Gill’s early dismissal seemed to confirm to many that all was not well between the two.
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What did Shubman Gill say addressing rumours on 'ego clash' with Hardik Pandya?
Shubman Gill took to Instagram to shut down the chatter. He shared a couple of pictures with Hardik Pandya and wrote a clear message:
"Nothing but love. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet," tagging Pandya in the post.
Shubman Gill's Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/wEzRWTMb6S
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 31, 2025
With this, the newly appointed India Test captain made it clear that there is no bad blood between the two. His response was quick and it steered the conversation back to the cricket instead of online drama.
Earlier in the game, Gill was dismissed for just 1 off 2 balls by Trent Boult and Pandya’s fiery celebration near Gill caught attention.
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Sai Sudharsan (80 off 49) and Washington Sundar (48 off 24) put up a strong fight in the 229-run chase but MI's bowlers tightened things in the death overs to seal a 20-run win.
Hardik Pandya responds to Shubman Gill's post
Pandya was quick to react to Gill's post as he reposted the story on his Instagram profile and wrote: "Always shubhu baby".
A cute reply from Hardik Pandya to Gill. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rmxsKj10YE
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 31, 2025
What’s next for Mumbai Indians?
With this win, Mumbai Indians booked their place in Qualifier 2 where they will face Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The winner will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday.