Gujarat Titans openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan kept rewriting the standards of IPL 2026 on Thursday, when they struck again against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The GT pair produced another ruthless start, building a fresh milestone-studded partnership as the Titans continued their charge in the league phase.
Quick facts: GT’s latest IPL 2026 statement
- Match: Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Narendra Modi Stadium, Thursday
- Gill and Sudharsan’s partnership marked their 10th men’s T20 century stand together
- That 10th century partnership came in only 46 innings, the fastest among the all-time listed pairs
- They also recorded their seventh IPL century opening partnership for the first wicket (most by any opening duo in the tournament)
- They now have 15 fifty-plus opening stands in 31 IPL innings
- As a pair, they’ve accumulated 1898 runs as opening partners (Avg: 67.78, RR: 9.87)
Against CSK, Gill and Sudharsan once more turned the powerplay into a platform for dominance. Their effort helped them reach an elite mark in men’s T20 cricket: it was their tenth century partnership together, matching the all-time number of century stands shared by famous opening pairs such as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and AB de Villiers with Kohli.
The standout element is the speed. Gill and Sudharsan required just 46 innings to get to 10 century partnerships, beating the pace of other legendary combinations on the same list—Gayle and Kohli needed 63 innings, Babar and Rizwan took 75, while de Villiers and Kohli reached the figure in 77.
Most century stands in men’s T20 cricket (any wicket) now reads like a record-book showdown: 10 — Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan (46 innings), 10 — Chris Gayle & Virat Kohli (63 innings), 10 — Babar Azam & Mohammad Rizwan (75 innings), and 10 — AB de Villiers & Virat Kohli (77 innings).
New IPL record: best ever for opening centuries
On top of the broader T20 milestone, the innings delivered another IPL-first. Gill and Sudharsan registered their seventh century partnership for the opening wicket in IPL history, the highest total by any opening pair in the tournament. Their numbers also took them beyond landmark opening duos like David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan and Travis Head & Abhishek Sharma, who were both sitting on six century opening stands.
Consistency has also been a defining theme for this partnership. In IPL record terms, Gill and Sudharsan moved past the Virat Kohli–Faf du Plessis duo and matched the Rohit Sharma–Ishan Kishan combination for the second-most opening stands of 50-plus runs in IPL history.
Their current rhythm is staggering: the GT pair has amassed 15 fifty-plus opening partnerships in just 31 innings. Only Warner and Dhawan have more such opening stands overall, with 18, but they needed 48 innings to reach that mark.
Most 50-plus opening stands in IPL history stands at: 18 — David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan (48 innings), 15 — Rohit Sharma & Ishan Kishan (43 innings), 15 — Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan (31 innings), 14 — Virat Kohli & Faf du Plessis (38 innings), and 14 — Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head (37 innings).
Run aggregate and scoring rate: the real separation
Those partnership tallies become even more eye-catching when viewed through the lens of runs and pace. Gill and Sudharsan have already piled up 1898 runs as an opening pair, carrying an average of 67.78 with a run-rate of 9.87. It’s a blend that places them among the league’s most damaging and dependable opening combinations.
While only Warner and Dhawan have posted more IPL runs as opening partners, the GT duo’s figures stand out for both efficiency and tempo. Their ability to convert starts into big totals has helped keep their output consistently high across innings.
Highest opening partnership aggregates in IPL history list includes: 2220 — David Warner & Shikhar Dhawan (Avg: 47.23, RR: 8.59), 1898 — Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan (Avg: 67.78, RR: 9.87), 1890 — Virat Kohli & Faf du Plessis (Avg: 51.08, RR: 9.00), 1755 — Abhishek Sharma & Travis Head (Avg: 47.43, RR: 12.41), and 1547 — Rohit Sharma & Ishan Kishan (Avg: 35.97, RR: 9.02).
The match also carried a personal landmark for Gill, who moved into the record conversation for fastest to 6000 T20 runs by innings. He became the seventh-fastest batter in men’s T20 cricket to reach 6000 runs in innings terms, reaching the milestone in his 185th innings. The only batter ahead of him is Virat Kohli, who had done it in 184 innings.
Gill hits 6000 in innings; Titans keep rolling
Fastest to 6000 T20 runs (by innings) now reads: 162 — Chris Gayle, 165 — Babar Azam, 166 — KL Rahul, 180 — Shaun Marsh, 180 — Devon Conway, 184 — Virat Kohli, and 185 — Shubman Gill.
Gill’s milestone takes on extra weight because he is one of only four players in men’s T20 history to reach over 6000 runs before turning 27. The group also includes Babar Azam, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Will Jacks.
With the Titans’ momentum continuing, Gujarat Titans have already secured qualification for the playoffs, setting up a campaign where their opening pair’s record-breaking form has become a major headline—and a major weapon.
