Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan delivered another statement performance in IPL 2026 as Gujarat Titans roared to a landmark chase against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 on Friday. Their togetherness at the top of the order didn’t just set up a chase—it rewrote a record book for men’s T20 cricket.
At a glance
- Match: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Qualifier 2, IPL 2026 (Friday)
- Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur
- Chase target: Rajasthan Royals set 214/6
- Opening partnership record: First men’s T20 duo to register 11 century stands
- Speed of milestone: 11 century partnerships in 48 innings together
- Key contributions in chase: Gill 81 off 39; Sudharsan 51* off 27
- Score at end of 11th over: Gujarat Titans 144/0
- Why it stood out: Other famed pairs had reached 10 centuries before crossing this mark
The Titans’ opening duo became the first partnership in men’s T20 history to reach double figures in hundred-plus stands—11 in total—during their run chase of Rajasthan’s imposing 214. The record arrived in the high-stakes knockout setting of Qualifier 2, where the margin for error is usually razor thin.
Gill and Sudharsan moved beyond several of the biggest names and combinations in T20 history. Previously, the century-pairing mark of 10 had been achieved by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, Babar Azam with Mohammad Rizwan, and the AB de Villiers with Kohli duo—each carving out their own place in the sport’s statistical pantheon.
Most century partnerships in men’s T20 (any wicket)
- 11 — Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan (48 innings)
- 10 — Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli (63 innings)
- 10 — Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (75 innings)
- 10 — AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli (77 innings)
- 7 — Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh (44 innings)
- 7 — Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (49 innings)
What made the feat even more eye-catching was the pace at which it was achieved. Gill and Sudharsan reached their 11th century partnership together in just 48 innings, comfortably quicker than the legendary pairs that took longer to touch the same level.
Rajasthan had posted 214/6 earlier in the evening, building their total largely through Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive 96 off 47 balls. Donovan Ferreira also played a crucial late cameo, accelerating the innings during the final over to help the Royals set a daunting target.
In reply, the Titans’ chase began with intent. Gill and Sudharsan went after the bowling from the outset, immediately forcing Rajasthan to defend runs at a higher tempo than they would have preferred. By the time the 11th over concluded, Gujarat had surged to 144 without loss, with Gill on 81 off 39 deliveries and Sudharsan unbeaten on 51 off 27.
The partnership stood out not just for its output, but for the contrasting ways the two batters kept the chase moving. Gill blended clean, fluent strokeplay with measured bursts of aggression, while Sudharsan maintained the momentum through accurate striking and sharp running between the wickets.
That consistency at the top has become one of Gujarat’s defining traits across the past two IPL seasons. Time and again, the duo has delivered reliable starts—whether the match demanded control in a high-scoring chase or resilience when conditions became difficult.
With multiple iconic T20 century partnerships now behind them, Gill and Sudharsan have firmly placed themselves among the most dominant opening combinations in franchise cricket history. Their Qualifier 2 surge served as another reminder that when they come together, the scoreboard doesn’t just rise—it transforms.
