Mullanpur: Gujarat Titans (GT) stormed into the grand IPL 2026 final, pulling off a sensational 215-run chase, their highest successful chase in franchise history, with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Friday, 29 May. Shubman Gill brilliantly delivered an astonishing captain’s match-winning knock, scoring a magnificent century and leading the chase from the front with exceptional composure and authority, while Sai Sudharsan provided outstanding support alongside him with a crucial and impactful innings.
The match began with RR winning the toss and electing to bat first. However, the decision backfired early as RR suffered setbacks, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (1) dismissed by Mohammed Siraj and Dhruv Jurel (7) falling to Kagiso Rabada inside the first two overs, leaving Rajasthan Royals reeling at 9/2. Ravindra Jadeja was promoted to No. 4 despite battling a tennis elbow issue. Jadeja briefly retired hurt before returning later. However, young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi orchestrated a remarkable recovery for RR, displaying tremendous composure and attacking intent under pressure. The teenager once again produced another explosive batting display, showcasing exceptional maturity, fearless strokeplay, and tremendous power-hitting. He blasted a rapid and magnificent 96 off just 47 balls, smashing 8 boundaries and 7 towering sixes. With this innings, the young star achieved several incredible records and milestones. Sooryavanshi became the fastest player ever to complete 1000 IPL runs. The teenage sensation broke Andre Russell’s long-standing record. Sooryavanshi now sits at the top after another explosive innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added another extraordinary chapter to his IPL 2026 season by becoming the first player in T20 history to score 500 runs in the powerplay during a single tournament. The teenager also became the first uncapped player ever to score 700 runs in a single IPL season. The historic campaign now sees Sooryavanshi sitting alone at the top of the list for the highest-scoring IPL seasons by an uncapped player. His 700-run season overtook Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 625-run campaign from 2023. However, he eventually fell agonisingly short of a second consecutive century, dismissed by Kagiso Rabada. Sooryavanshi was superbly supported by Ravindra Jadeja after the RR middle order struggled to build partnerships. Jason Holder choked the middle order with a superb spell, dismissing captain Riyan Parag (11) and Dasun Shanaka (3). Meanwhile, Jadeja anchored the innings brilliantly with a crucial 45 off 35 balls. After Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, momentum briefly shifted towards GT, but Donovan Ferreira unleashed absolute carnage in the death overs and helped RR surge past the 200-run mark. He hammered a stunning 38 off just 11 balls at a phenomenal strike rate of 345.45, putting the GT bowlers under immense pressure. Ferreira contributed heavily to the 27 runs scored in the final over off Rashid Khan. As a result, RR posted 214/6 in their 20 overs.
GT’s bowling attack started well but struggled during the middle overs against Sooryavanshi’s explosive assault. Although they came back strongly towards the end and regained some control, they were ultimately unable to restrict RR below the 200-run mark, as the late onslaught propelled Rajasthan Royals to a formidable total.
Chasing a daunting target of 215 in a high-pressure knockout encounter, GT’s opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan set the tone right from the first over. The dynamic duo stitched together a spectacular 167-run partnership off just 77 balls, the highest partnership in IPL playoff history. The Gujarat Titans opening pair also became the first duo in men’s T20 cricket history to register 11 century partnerships. Gill and Sudharsan surpassed some of the greatest batting combinations in T20 history, including Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli, Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan, and AB de Villiers-Virat Kohli, all of whom had previously recorded 10 century partnerships. Shubman Gill led the chase with flawless execution, featuring exquisite inside-out lofts, superb shot selection, impeccable timing, and effortless strokeplay. The GT skipper produced a breathtaking and electrifying innings of 104 off 53 balls, smashing 15 boundaries and 3 sixes at a stunning strike rate of 196.23.
With this outstanding knock, Gill achieved multiple historic milestones. The Gujarat Titans skipper raced to his century in just 47 balls, making it the fastest century in IPL playoff history, the fastest hundred ever scored by a Gujarat Titans batter, and the first century by a captain in IPL playoff history. Gill also became the first batter ever to score multiple centuries in IPL playoffs, adding another remarkable achievement to his growing IPL legacy. It was also his fifth IPL century overall. The innings helped Gill enter another elite IPL list. He now joins Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and Sai Sudharsan as one of the few batters to score 700-plus runs in multiple IPL seasons. While Gill led the chase with great authority, Sai Sudharsan played the perfect supporting role with a superb 58 off 32 deliveries, including 8 boundaries and a six. However, he suffered a highly unfortunate dismissal while completing a shot, as the bat slipped from his grip and knocked over the stumps, resulting in a hit-wicket dismissal off Brijesh Sharma. Remarkably, Sudharsan has now been dismissed hit-wicket in consecutive innings. What makes the record even more unusual is that no other batter in IPL history has been dismissed hit-wicket more than once. Gill was eventually trapped LBW by Jofra Archer, giving RR a late breakthrough. However, by then the damage had already been done. Following Gill’s dismissal, Washington Sundar played a useful cameo of 16 off 9 balls, while Rahul Tewatia remained unbeaten on 17 off 9 deliveries to ensure the chase was completed successfully. GT reached 219/3 in just 18.4 overs, comfortably chasing down their highest successful total in franchise history. With this match-winning century and inspirational leadership during the chase, Gill deservedly earned the Player of the Match award. RR’s bowling attack was completely shattered by the dominant GT opening duo. Even in-form Jofra Archer endured a expensive outing despite taking a wicket, conceding 45 runs in his spell.
With this phenomenal victory, Gujarat Titans secured their place in the grand IPL 2026 final, reaching the title clash for the third time in their five-season history. GT will now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a blockbuster final on Sunday, 31 May, at their home ground, the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals’ incredible IPL 2026 campaign came to an end with this defeat. Despite the loss, Rajasthan Royals have plenty to be proud of from a memorable season, highlighted by the remarkable rise of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose record-breaking performances captivated cricket fans throughout the tournament.
