Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has singled out opening partner Sai Sudharsan's relentless consistency as a defining asset for the side, as the 2022 IPL champions gear up to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the title decider at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 1 June 2026. Gujarat Titans enter the final on the back of a commanding seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 at New Chandigarh.

Gill on Sudharsan's match-to-match consistency

Speaking at the pre-final press conference, Gill drew on his own early IPL struggles to explain what sets Sudharsan apart. 'I think in a tournament like IPL, when I first started playing, one of the challenges that I faced was to keep playing the matches at the same intensity, and I think that is one of his biggest strengths,' said Gill.

'You play so many matches there could be days where mentally you don't feel up to the mark or physically you don't feel up to the mark, but to be able to have the same intensity in all of the matches and be consistent in your preparation (and) in your routine is not that easy. He is someone who is very consistent in his routines, in his life outside of cricket... so that is what makes him consistent on the field as well,' he added.

A record-threatening opening partnership

Sudharsan has surpassed the 700-run mark for the second successive IPL season, and his partnership with Gill has already yielded 886 runs in IPL 2026. In the Qualifier 2, the duo put on a 167-run opening stand — Gill contributing a majestic 104 and Sudharsan an assured 58.

Notably, if the pair adds another 54 runs in the final, they will surpass the all-time IPL opening-partnership record set by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in 2016. 'We spend a lot of time in the IPL together on the field, off the field as well, and then we are in the Test team as well, so we have a lot of conversations,' Gill said, underlining the depth of their cricketing relationship.

Gill's evolution as a T20 batter

Gill has sharpened his own powerplay aggression this season, raising his powerplay strike rate from 143 last season to 159 in IPL 2026 — a development that strengthens his case for an India T20I recall. Asked about his international ambitions, Gill was measured: 'I'd be happy to play if I get picked for the T20 team, but honestly, I want to keep working on my game. It doesn't matter what format it is. I want to keep getting better as a T20 batsman, as an ODI batsman, as a Test batsman.'

The wicket evolution debate

Gill also offered a nuanced view on why T20 scores have climbed in recent seasons, pointing to pitch preparation cycles rather than a fundamental shift in batting. 'I think that not many people talk about this. Before these two new teams (GT and LSG) were added to the league in 2022, there used to be eight teams, and we used to play on similar wickets,' he explained.

With more teams and longer scheduling gaps, venues now get four to five-day or seven-day breaks between matches, allowing pitches to be freshly prepared. 'So I feel cricket is the same, it's all about the kind of wickets that we play on... If we play on challenging wickets, the scores are going to be similar,' he said.

Mental edge at home a key advantage

With the final being held at GT's home ground, Gill acknowledged the familiarity factor while placing the greater premium on mental readiness. 'Physically they might have an advantage, but I think finals are all about mental (strength), so the team that is mentally up for the challenge is the one that is going to win,' he said, referring to RCB's slightly shorter travel from Dharamshala.

Gill also dismissed any notion of pressure from the home crowd, framing it instead as an advantage: 'There's familiarity when we play there, we know the wicket, we know the ground, so we know what kind of cricket we need to play there.' With the final just days away, all eyes will be on whether Gill and Sudharsan can script another defining chapter at the venue where GT's IPL story began.