Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan produced a moment of IPL trivia with his dismissal in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals—one that eerily mirrored what had happened earlier in the tournament’s run-up to the final. In Mullanpur on Friday, Sudharsan was again dismissed hit-wicket in a near-identical manner to his exit in Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Dharamsala, becoming the first batter in IPL history to suffer the same type of dismissal in consecutive matches.
Sudharsan’s back-to-back hit-wicket exits
- In IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala, Sudharsan had already been dismissed hit-wicket in a highly unusual fashion against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
- In IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 at Mullanpur, he suffered another bizarre hit-wicket dismissal against Rajasthan Royals, replicating the incident almost exactly.
- With the dismissal, Sudharsan became the first batter in IPL history to be out hit-wicket in back-to-back innings.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill, stationed at the non-striker’s end, reacted visibly to the moment. He appeared shell-shocked as Sudharsan walked back in such unfortunate circumstances, and Gill even sank to the ground in disbelief before regaining his composure.
Rajasthan Royals set the tone first, posting 214/6 in their 20 overs. The total was driven by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive knock of 96 off 47 balls, giving RR a platform that looked difficult to chase.
In reply, Gujarat Titans looked in complete control early. Gill and Sudharsan assembled a century stand and raced through the chase with confidence, suggesting the target would be reached without drama.
The moment the chase changed
- Sudharsan’s innings ended abruptly when he attempted to dispatch a low full toss from Brijesh Sharma through the off side.
- After making contact, he lost control of his bat; it flew backward and struck the stumps.
- The result was a hit-wicket dismissal, leaving the crowd stunned and Gill frustrated at the other end.
Television viewers and spectators were left wide-eyed at the nature of the wicket. Ravi Shastri, reacting on air, joked: “Where is the fevicol? Where is the glue?”
Despite Sudharsan’s departure, Gujarat Titans kept moving forward. Chasing 215, Gill and his partner made light work of the target, adding 167 runs in just 12.5 overs. The seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals meant Gujarat Titans secured their place in the title match.
After the game, Gill was asked about Sudharsan’s strange dismissal. He admitted it was unlike anything he had seen before.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything. No one’s seen anything like that, two matches, back to back in a row. The way he got out. I saw some video on social media that taping his hand, I think I’m going to have to do that in the next match,” Gill said.
With the victory, Gujarat Titans booked a final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
