Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill etched another chapter into IPL history with a decisive century in the Indian Premier League 2026 Qualifier 2 on Friday against the Rajasthan Royals. Chasing 215, Gill built the chase alongside Sai Sudharsan, whose explosive 58 off 32 balls gave GT the momentum they needed. Gill then finished the job with a commanding 104 off 53, steering the side home with 8 balls remaining.
Quick facts from Qualifier 2
- Match: IPL 2026 Qualifier 2, Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals (Friday)
- Target chased: 215 runs
- Sai Sudharsan: 58 off 32 balls (ended via hit-wicket)
- Shubman Gill: 104 off 53 balls
- Chase result: GT won with 8 balls to spare
- Gill’s landmark: first IPL captain to score a century
- Also: Gill’s fifth IPL century overall
Gill’s hundred in Qualifier 2 was significant not just for the win, but for what it broke. He became the first captain in IPL history to reach the three-figure mark in a playoff match. Even the biggest names from IPL postseason history—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—had not managed to cross that threshold as captains in playoff games.
That innings also marked Gill’s fifth IPL century in total. It arrived with a bundle of record implications, underlining how quickly the captain took control once the chase began.
Records Gill added in Qualifier 2
- Fastest century in IPL playoff history
- Fastest ever hundred by a Gujarat Titans batter
- First century by a captain in IPL playoff history
- First batter to score multiple hundreds in IPL playoffs
Gill and Sudharsan didn’t just chase down the target—they rewrote batting benchmarks as a pair. Their stand carried them to 167 runs in 12.5 overs before a hit-wicket ended Sudharsan’s innings, cutting short a knock that had already set the tone.
Their partnership was also Gill’s and Sudharsan’s 11th century stand in T20 cricket across 48 innings together. That figure pushed them ahead of the earlier benchmark held by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, who had produced 10 century partnerships in 63 attempts.
As if that wasn’t enough, the 167-run alliance became the highest partnership in IPL playoffs for any wicket. It surpassed a 159-run stand between Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay against RCB in the 2011 final.
Gill’s century contribution further underlined his season-long dominance. With his knock, he also registered another 700-plus run partnership milestone, becoming the fourth batter to achieve two separate IPL seasons of 700+ runs.
In the current campaign, Gill has produced 722 runs in 15 matches at an average of 48.13, striking at 163.71. His tally includes one century and six fifties, reinforcing how consistently he has impacted games even in the high-pressure stages of the tournament.
He had already posted a 700+ run season earlier as well, reaching 890 runs in 2023. In doing so, Gill joined a select group: Virat Kohli (973 runs in 2016 and 741 in 2024), Sai Sudharsan (759 in 2025 and 710 in 2026), and Chris Gayle (733 in 2012 and 708 in 2013).
With Qualifier 2 sealed and records stacking up, Gill’s 104 didn’t just propel Gujarat Titans to the finish line—it also turned the chase into a milestone moment for IPL history.
