Gujarat Titans stormed into the IPL 2026 final with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, thanks to a sensational batting display by Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Despite a fantastic innings by young Rajasthan opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Gujarat dominated the chase and secured their place in the summit clash, where they will now meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Rajasthan Royals Recover After Early Collapse
Rajasthan Royals had an early collapse when Gujarat’s bowlers struck in quick succession, with Rajasthan Royals starting from scratch at the first ball when they had pitched up in the first over of the match. Yashasvi Jaiswal went out to the bowler in the very first over with just one run, while Dhruv Jurel was out soon after, which left Rajasthan stuck at 9/2.
As the pressure grew, Ravindra Jadeja was promoted up the order to keep the innings on track. The veteran all-rounder looked solid before he was forced to leave the field due to an injury scare. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took complete control over the innings and executed a very good counterattack against the Gujarat bowling unit.
Rajasthan skipper Riyan Parag and Dasun Shanaka failed to make an impact again, also putting pressure on the young batter. But Sooryavanshi continued his fearless approach and smashed 96 runs off 47 deliveries and enthralled the crowd with a series of aggressive strokes all around the ground.
His brilliant innings ended when Kagiso Rabada took him out with a quick short-pitched delivery that denied him a century.
After Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, Donovan Ferreira provided late fireworks with an explosive unbeaten 38 off only 11 balls. Jadeja also returned to the crease and remained unbeaten on 45 as Rajasthan Royals amassed a competitive 214 runs in their 20 overs.
Gill and Sudharsan Rewrite Record Books
With a massive target in hand, Gujarat Titans openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan made one of the best partnerships in IPL playoff history. The duo anchored a 167-run stand that took the game away from the Rajasthan Royals.
With this partnership, Gill and Sudharsan made history by registering the most century partnerships in men’s T20 cricket, surpassing legendary pairs Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli and Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan.
Gill was at his destructive best throughout the innings and went on to score the fastest century by a Gujarat Titans batter in IPL history. The Gujarat captain reached his hundred in just 47 balls, dismantling the Rajasthan bowling attack with remarkable ease and confidence.
Sai Sudharsan was again excellent in a supporting role and made 58 off 32 deliveries. But he did have a weird dismissal as he got out hit-wicket for the second match in succession. He joined Andre Russell and Shoaib Malik for the unwanted record of the most hit-wicket dismissals in men’s T20 cricket.
Following Sudharsan’s dismissal, Gill continued the assault and ensured that there were no further hiccups in the chase as Gujarat comfortably crossed the target to secure a place in the IPL 2026 final.
GT to Face RCB in Final
With this victory, the Gujarat Titans have booked their spot in the IPL 2026 final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The much-awaited title clash is to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the two teams will fight for the championship.
Although the Rajasthan Royals bow out after an impressive campaign, the Gujarat Titans are looking forward to the final with a lot of confidence after another dominant batting performance from their top order.
