Come at the hour, and come at the man. Shubman Gill answered both calls for the Gujarat Titans in the knockout stage of IPL 2026, producing a commanding century in Qualifier 2 against the Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur. Chasing 215, the Titans captain struck early, kept the pressure on throughout, and guided his side to a seven-wicket triumph with eight balls remaining.
Quick facts
- Match: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Qualifier 2, IPL 2026
- Venue: Mullanpur
- Chase: Titans chased 215
- Gill’s knock: 104 runs off 52 balls (century off 47 balls)
- Result: Titans won by 7 wickets, with 8 balls to spare
- Gill’s IPL 2026 run tally: crossed 700; sits second on the Orange Cap list behind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Next: Titans will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final on Sunday, May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium
Gill wasted no time in the chase, launching the innings with two boundaries off Jofra Archer in the very first over. He then continued to find runs at will, striking Archer, Nandre Burger, Tushar Deshpande, and Brijesh Sharma during the powerplay. By the end of that early phase, the right-hander had already reached 29 off 19 deliveries, and he moved into his half-century in just 30 balls.
There was an expectation that the India Test and ODI captain would shift into a more controlled mode while chasing a target of 215. Instead, Gill kept accelerating, attacking the Royals’ bowling with intent and consistency. He completed his century off 47 balls, reaching the milestone in the 14th over off Ravindra Jadeja.
After bringing up the ton, Gill removed his helmet and soaked in the loud applause from the Mullanpur crowd. The 47-ball century was also the quickest hundred ever recorded by a Gujarat Titans batter in IPL history. When Gill reached the landmark, Ravi Shastri highlighted the detail in commentary, saying: “He lives 30kms away from the ground.”
In the end, Gill finished with a 104-run contribution from 52 balls, a knock that set the tone for a smooth chase. The Titans’ victory was comprehensive, and with the innings he also moved beyond the 700-run mark for IPL 2026. On the Orange Cap leaderboard, he is currently second, trailing only Rajasthan’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Toss twist and Gill’s response
Gill’s night also came with an earlier storyline that left him miffed. The coin toss in Qualifier 2 had to be conducted twice after the match referee did not hear Riyan Parag’s call on the first attempt. Gill would have had the advantage if the referee had picked it up properly, but on the second try the toss went against Gujarat, with the coin landing heads.
Still, Gill turned any frustration into momentum. He led from the front and ensured the Titans kept their campaign on track, setting up another shot at silverware. The controlled finish underlined that even with the toss going the other way, Gujarat found the rhythm they needed when the knockout match demanded it.
To understand how the game swung, it helps to look at the Royals’ innings first. Riyan Parag, the Rajasthan captain, won the toss and chose to bat. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi then struck a 96-run knock to help the Royals post 214 runs on the board.
Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira also made their presence felt, both finishing unbeaten with 45 and 38 respectively. At the midway point, it appeared the pitch might have offered enough for the chasing side to struggle, but Gill and Sai Sudharsan had a different plan.
Gill and Sudharsan began to dismantle the Royals’ bowling, putting on a 167-run stand for the opening wicket. For a long stretch, it looked as though Rajasthan would struggle to take even a single wicket. However, the script changed at a crucial moment as Sudharsan was dismissed hit wicket for the second consecutive match.
That dismissal echoed the pattern from the previous game against RCB, with Sudharsan’s bat going back onto the stumps and the left-hander showing a visibly disappointed reaction. When Sudharsan fell, the Titans still required 49 runs to win. It’s also worth noting that Sudharsan and Gill combined for the highest partnership in the history of IPL playoffs.
From there, Gujarat ensured there was no late scare and completed the chase with authority. The 2022 champions cruised into their third IPL final, where they will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, May 31, at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
