Suryavanshi's heroics in vain; Gill's masterclass century propels Gujarat Titans into IPL 2026 final

MULLANPUR: In a high-octane clash, Gujarat Titans secured their spot in the IPL 2026 final after a commanding seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2.

Led by a breathtaking century from skipper Shubman Gill, the Titans successfully chased down a formidable target of 215 runs to set up a blockbuster championship showdown against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) this Sunday. Having lost to RCB in Qualifier 1, Gujarat made no mistakes in their second bite at the cherry.

Gill and Sudharsan standardise the chase

Chasing a daunting target of 215, Gujarat Titans made a mockery of the run rate, courtesy of a spectacular 167-run opening stand between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. The duo decimated the Rajasthan bowling attack, reaching the milestone in just 12.5 overs.

• Shubman Gill: The skipper led from the front, blasting his first century of the season with a magnificent 104 off 53 balls, decorated with 15 boundaries and 3 sixes.
• Sai Sudharsan: Played a perfect foil, anchoring and attacking with a fierce 58 off 32 balls before unluckily getting out hit-wicket—repeating his dismissal from the previous game.

Following Sudharsan's departure, Gill followed soon after completing his milestone. Washington Sundar (16) fell shortly after, but the experienced duo of Jos Buttler (9*) and Rahul Tewatia (17*) calmly steered the Titans across the finish line with 7 wickets and 8 balls to spare.

Rajasthan’s innings: Suryavanshi show

Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals posted a robust 214/6, heavily riding on an explosive knock by teenage prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

Gujarat’s newly structured bowling attack struck early. Mohammed Siraj provided the perfect start by removing the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal (1) in the opening over, while Kagiso Rabada dismissed Dhruv Jurel (7) in the next, leaving Rajasthan reeling at 9/2.

Turning Point: Ravindra Jadeja and Vaibhav Suryavanshi joined forces to orchestrate a brilliant rescue mission. Though Jadeja (45*) had to temporarily walk off retired hurt when the team score was 82, Suryavanshi shifted gears brutally.

Suryavanshi hammered 96 runs off just 47 balls, including 8 fours and 7 sixes. He fell just four runs short of a well-deserved century in the 18th over, offering a catch to Prasidh Krishna off Rabada's bowling. Following his departure, a returning Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira provided the final flourish. Ferreira played a cameo of a lifetime, smoking 38 runs off 11 balls, which included taking Rashid Khan apart for four massive sixes in the final over to push the total past 200.

Key statistical highlights

• 1,028 Career Runs: Vaibhav Suryavanshi officially crossed the prestigious 1,000-run milestone in his IPL career, achieving the feat in a blistering 23 innings.
• 90s Curse: This match marked Suryavanshi's 5th half-century of the season (alongside one century). Incredibly, the prodigy has been dismissed in the agonising 90s in his last two consecutive appearances.
• 776 runs this season: With a massive haul of 776 runs across 16 innings, the teenager firmly holds the Orange Cap as the tournament's leading run-scorer.

With this victory, Gujarat Titans head into Sunday's final with immense momentum, aiming to avenge their Qualifier 1 loss against RCB and claim the IPL 2026 silverware.