Gujarat Titans batting coach Parthiv Patel didn’t hold back with a playful jab at the doubters after Shubman Gill and his team brushed aside Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to secure a spot in the IPL 2026 final. The turnaround was on display in the Qualifier 2 in Chandigarh on Friday, where GT again faced a side carrying real momentum and RR made them work for it.
Rajasthan Royals, buoyed by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive form, put up a challenging total of 214/6 from their 20 overs. Sooryavanshi was the standout, smashing 96 off just 47 balls and setting the tone for RR’s innings with the kind of late acceleration that T20 totals demand. Yet despite the momentum from the top, it wasn’t enough to stop Gujarat from chasing the target successfully.
Chasing 215, Gill delivered when it mattered most, steering the innings with a captain’s knock of 104 off 53 deliveries. His innings gave GT the control they needed, and they reached the target with eight balls still remaining, turning the qualifier into a statement win and booking their third final in five seasons.
After the result, Patel took to X—formerly Twitter—to deliver a humorous response to those who had questioned Gujarat’s playoff chances. Writing with a light-hearted tone, he pointed directly at the criticism, saying, “Who here had written off GT’s qualification chances? No judgments, just curious!”
Patel’s remark landed with extra weight because Gujarat’s campaign has been a story of resilience. The Titans began their season with back-to-back losses, but they quickly regrouped and finished strongly, winning nine matches out of 14. Their run included a five-game streak, and when the league stage concluded, they ended up second in the points table, just behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Speaking after the win at the post-match presentation, Gill explained the mindset behind his knock. He said he wasn’t trying to force the ball from ball one, instead focusing on picking the right areas, reading the bowlers, and waiting for the gaps to open up. Gill noted that the execution came from seeing where he could hit rather than chasing power, adding that he was “only looking at the gaps,” and that once he connected, the innings flowed naturally. He also reflected on the chase, mentioning that the target of 220 shaped the plan, and that at one point it looked like RR might be kept to 180-190, but GT still managed to put runs together and finish the job.
