Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals’ 214 in Qualifier 2 to secure a spot in the title match, where they will face reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), thanks to Shubman Gill’s magnificent 104 off 53 balls and a record 167-run opening partnership with B. Sai Sudharsan. This was Gujarat Titans’ highest successful chase in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Gill reached his fifth IPL century at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, scoring at a strike rate of 196.23 with 15 fours and three sixes. The game will be remembered for Gill’s outstanding century, in which he was at his best, hitting the gaps with ease and being exquisite in his pulls and lofts to end RR’s season, even though the other GT batters completed the chase.
Sudharsan, on the other hand, smashed 58 off 32 balls before being spectacularly out for the second time in a row. With eight balls remaining, GT’s chase of 215 is their most successful run-chase to date. Their typical formula of Gill and Sudharsan scoring a ton of runs worked once more. With the victory, they advance to their third IPL final, where they will play RCB in Ahmedabad. This is a rematch of Qualifier 1, when the top two teams in the league will compete for the championship.
Jofra Archer was removed by Sudharsan and Gill at the start of GT’s chase, which resulted in 19 runs. Then, in Archer’s subsequent over, Gill hit consecutive boundaries to create the stage for a brilliant run chase. Donovan Ferreira dropped Sudharsan on 14, one of the additional runs that Nandre Burger released. Gill drove and pulled with authority, and Sudharsan matched him stroke for stroke. Gill’s timing was flawless.
The two had taken GT to 69 for no loss before the end of the Power-play. Gill maintained his dominance, reaching his fifty in thirty balls while elegantly cutting and lofting Brijesh Sharma and Yash Raj Punja. With a lofted six off Punja, Sudharsan also achieved his fifty in 26 deliveries.
Before Sudharsan’s innings ended strangely, hit-wicket for the second time in back-to-back games, this time off Brijesh Sharma, the partnership continued to blossom with spectacular and well-timed boundaries, ensuring the asking rate never went out of control. Gill, on the other hand, celebrated with his signature bow after hitting his hundred with a lofted extra-cover shot off Ravindra Jadeja.
Even though Archer trapped Gill leg before wicket, Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar added fast runs in the middle overs to keep the pursuit moving forward. Sundar killed Burger for sixteen after hitting Archer for a six and a four. Before securing victory with a straight six and guaranteeing GT’s place in the final, Rahul Tewatia hit Brijesh for consecutive boundaries.
Short scores:
Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals 214/6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 96, Ravindra Jadeja 45 not out; Jason Holder 2-27, Kagiso Rabada 2-45) by seven wickets in 18.4 overs (Shubman Gill 104, B. Sai Sudharsan 58; Nandre Burger 1-35, Brijesh Sharma 1-44).
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