Source TOI
MULLANPUR — A breathtaking captain’s knock by Shubman Gill shattered playoff records and booked the Gujarat Titans (GT) a high-stakes rematch in the IPL 2026 final.
Dismantling the Rajasthan Royals (RR) bowling attack in Qualifier 2 on Friday, Gill smashed the fastest century in IPL playoff history to lead his side through a record-breaking 215-run chase. With a clinical seven-wicket victory wrapped up in just 18.4 overs, Gujarat Titans have now set up a mouth-watering blockbusting final against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), in Ahmedabad.
The Record-Shattering Chase
Chasing a daunting target of 215, the Titans’ prolific opening duo of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan launched a savage counter-attack. The pair put on a spectacular 167-run partnership off just 77 balls, registering the highest partnership ever recorded in an IPL playoff match.
Gill was the supreme architect of the chase, unleashing a classical batting exhibition that combined pinpoint placement with effortless wristwork. He targeted raw pace and spin alike, dismantling Jofra Archer and racing to his century in a blistering 47 deliveries.
With this knock, Gill etched his name deeper into the history books:
Fastest Century in IPL Playoffs: Reached in just 47 balls.
Captaincy Milestone: The first-ever century hit by a captain in the IPL playoffs.
Playoff King: Became the first player in IPL history to score multiple hundreds in playoff matches.
Gill eventually finished on 104 off 53 balls, decorated with elegant boundaries and towering sixes. Sai Sudharsan played the perfect foil, anchoring and attacking in tandem to score a rapid 58 off 32 balls before departing in a bizarre hit-wicket dismissal.
Sooryavanshi’s Valiant Effort Goes in Vain
Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals were asked to bat first and found themselves in immediate trouble. Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada struck two vital blows in his opening spell, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal (1) and Dhruv Jurel (7) to leave the Royals reeling at 9/2.
However, 15-year-old teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi orchestrated a phenomenal rescue act. The young left-hander blazed a magnificent 96 off 47 balls, hitting eight boundaries and seven towering sixes. Though he fell agonizingly short of a well-deserved century for the second consecutive playoff match, his fireworks—combined with a steady 45* from veteran Ravindra Jadeja—pushed Rajasthan to a highly competitive 214/6.
Despite crashing out, Sooryavanshi still holds the coveted Orange Cap with 776 runs this season, though Gill (722) and Sudharsan (710) are now breathing down his neck ahead of Sunday’s final.
The Grand Rematch
Having comfortably neutralized Rajasthan’s massive total, the Gujarat Titans have now charged into their third IPL final in just five seasons.
The stage is officially set for Sunday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Gill’s Titans will seek ultimate redemption against Rajat Patidar’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru—the very team that handed them a heavy 92-run defeat in Qualifier 1 earlier this week.
