IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans storm into final as Shubman Gill century downs RR despite Vaibhav’s heroics

Gujarat Titans produced a commanding batting display led by captain Shubman Gill to defeat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Friday and storm into the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Chasing a daunting 215-run target, GT overwhelmed RR with an explosive top-order performance, reaching 219/3 in just 18.4 overs to seal a comprehensive victory with eight balls to spare.

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Gill led from the front with a breathtaking 104 off 53 deliveries, hammering 15 fours and three sixes in a knock that effectively shut the door on Rajasthan’s hopes. In the process, he became the first player in IPL history to score multiple centuries in playoff matches.

🚨 IPL 2026 | Skipper Shubman Gill starred with a magnificent 104 as #GujaratTitans secured a dominant seven-wicket win over #RajasthanRoyals in #Qualifier2 in New Chandigarh on Friday. With the victory, GT booked their place in the final and will now take on #RCB at the Narendra… pic.twitter.com/NfZ1SrLVfy

— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) May 29, 2026

He received excellent support from Sai Sudharsan, who continued his remarkable season with a fluent 58 off 32 balls. The pair stitched together a mammoth 152-run opening stand that dismantled RR’s bowling attack and all but settled the chase before the death overs.

GT made their intentions clear from the outset, racing to 69 without loss in the powerplay. RR’s pacers struggled to contain the flow of boundaries, while a dropped catch by Donovan Ferreira early in the innings proved costly as Sudharsan capitalised fully.

The Gill-Sudharsan partnership also entered the record books, becoming the most prolific century-opening pair in men’s T20 cricket with their 11th 100-plus stand, surpassing the previous record held by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle.

🚨 IPL 2026 | #RRvsGT | Shubman Gill, captain of Gujarat Titans, smashed a 47-ball century against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh. pic.twitter.com/Mtf6cb1pEl

— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) May 29, 2026

Sudharsan eventually departed after a sparkling half-century, while Jofra Archer removed Gill in the 15th over with GT firmly in control. Rahul Tewatia then finished the chase in trademark fashion with an unbeaten 17 off nine balls, alongside Washington Sundar.

Earlier, RR recovered brilliantly after a disastrous start thanks to another sensational knock from 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Asked to bat first, Rajasthan stumbled to 13/2 inside two overs after Mohammed Siraj dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kagiso Rabada removed Dhruv Jurel.

However, Sooryavanshi counterattacked fearlessly, immediately putting GT’s bowlers under pressure with a series of audacious strokes. The teenage opener single-handedly shifted the momentum with a dazzling 96 off just 47 balls, smashing eight fours and seven sixes at a strike rate above 200.

The innings further cemented his status as the breakout star of IPL 2026. During the knock, Sooryavanshi also became the fastest batter to reach 1,000 IPL runs in terms of balls faced, achieving the milestone in just 440 deliveries and eclipsing Andre Russell’s previous record.

He also became the first batter in IPL history to score over 500 runs in the powerplay phase in a single season.

Ravindra Jadeja provided valuable support with a composed 45, despite briefly retiring hurt due to discomfort in his elbow. RR, however, continued losing wickets at regular intervals, slipping from 103/3 to 120/5.

Just when GT appeared to be regaining complete control, Donovan Ferreira unleashed a stunning late assault. The South African batter smashed an unbeaten 38 off only 11 balls, including four sixes in the final over off Rashid Khan, helping RR plunder 39 runs from the final two overs and finish at a formidable 214/6.

Despite RR’s strong finish, GT’s batting lineup proved too dominant on a batting-friendly Mullanpur surface.

For Gujarat, Rabada and Jason Holder claimed two wickets apiece, while Siraj and Prasidh Krishna chipped in with one each.

Captains’ take at toss

“We will bat first. Pretty much the same wicket, but I think it slows down at the backend, and we have the bowlers for it. We just need to play better cricket for 40 overs; the best team will win,” Parag said at the toss.

GT skipper Shubman Gill admitted his side would also have preferred to bat first.

“We would have batted first as well. Forty overs of cricket already on this wicket, and it won’t behave differently. We have everything to play for, it’s a now-or-never situation. We have one change: Sai Kishore is back,” Gill said.

GT vs RR IPL 2026: Playing XI

Rajasthan Royals Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja.

Gujarat Titans Playing XI: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.