Through Shubman Gill’s leadership, Gujarat Titans went from being a competent team in IPL 2026 to arguably one of the best championship contenders in the competition. In fact, the captain's sensational hundred in GT’s Qualifier 2 clash against Rajasthan Royals wasn’t simply a match-winning effort.

The innings paved the way for GT to make history in the IPL playoffs, chasing down the second-highest total in the process. Most importantly, it showed how Shubman Gill’s superior batting, strategy and collaboration with Sai Sudharsan had propelled Gujarat into being one of the most potent outfits in the ongoing IPL season. Indeed, Gill has molded a versatile outfit that is equally strong when it comes to batting and bowling.

The success of the Gujarat outfit this year has been largely owed to consistent performance by Shubman Gill and his team throughout the season. The batsman once again made a score of more than 700 runs in the tournament and became part of a small group of cricketers who were able to repeat the feat multiple times during their careers.

How Shubman Gill has pushed Gujarat Titans in IPL Finals 

Gill’s Big-Match Influence Sets the Tone

However, the most significant change came about from Gill's performance in the knockouts. The player scored 475 runs in 11 knockouts innings in the IPL at a strike rate of 144.81 and an average of 47.50. Gill's record-breaking 129 in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 stands as the best individual innings in the history of the league in playoffs. However, now, Gill's 104 runs against Rajasthan Royals add another feather in his cap. The player becomes the only captain who made a century in the playoffs. This makes him also the first batter with more than one hundred in the playoffs. These performances have given GT a dependable match-winner in the biggest moments.

The Gill-Sudharsan Partnership

Gill’s partnership with Sai Sudharsan has become the foundation of Gujarat’s success. The opening pair crossed 2,500 partnership runs in just 48 innings, the fastest in IPL history. They also set a world record in T20 cricket with 11 century partnerships and produced 22 fifty-plus stands. Their latest 167-run partnership against Rajasthan Royals completely changed the playoff contest. The duo also became the first teammates in IPL history to score more than 700 runs each in the same season. Gill finished with 722 runs, while Sudharsan added 710. Their consistency has allowed GT to dictate the pace of matches from the first over.

GT’s Experienced Bowling Attack

Starting from Kagiso Rabada who won the Purple Cap with 28 wickets in 16 games, including 18 in powerplay, the best among all bowlers - other important players for GT's bowlers included Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna who also had more than 15 wickets apiece, alongside Jason Holder who took 17 wickets in only 10 outings. Despite facing some difficulties in Qualifier 1 against RCB and Rashid having an extremely costly game in Qualifier 2, the most significant advantage that GT possessed was the depth in their bowling lineup. All of their regular bowlers had notched up at least 15 wickets, which proved crucial to their success in getting through to the finals of IPL 2026.