Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 104 guided Gujarat Titans (GT) into the Indian Premier League (IPL) final with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 on Friday.
GT chased down 215 to finish on 219 for 3, securing a comfortable victory and a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
RR posted 214 for 6, built around Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 96 off 47 balls. Ravindra Jadeja finished unbeaten on 45 and Sherfane Rutherford made 38 not out as Rajasthan set a competitive total on a two-paced pitch.
Jason Holder took 2 for 27 and Kagiso Rabada 2 for 35 to lead the GT bowling effort, preventing RR from accelerating further in the final overs.
Suryavanshi continued his breakthrough IPL 2026 season, finishing with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3. He anchored the innings once again but fell short of a century, dismissed late in the innings with his side under pressure.
GT’s chase was anchored by Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who scored 58. The pair put on a strong opening stand, dealing confidently with the new ball before building steadily towards the target.
Gill then took control of the innings, striking fluently as GT maintained momentum throughout the chase. Rajasthan’s bowling attack struggled to build sustained pressure as Gujarat’s top order dictated terms.
The win sent GT into their second consecutive IPL final and reinforced their batting strength in high-pressure knockout matches.
Cricket expert Anupam Mishra said Indian cricket has a bright future, citing batters Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Shubman Gill as key reasons.
