Shubman Gill blazed an imperious 104 off 53 balls — his fifth IPL century — and stitched a record 167-run opening stand with B Sai Sudharsan to power Gujarat Titans into the IPL 2026 final with a seven-wicket demolition of Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, on 30 May. GT chased down RR's 214 in just 18.4 overs, completing their highest successful run-chase in IPL history.

Gill's Masterclass Sets the Tone

Gill's innings was a clinic in controlled aggression. He struck 15 fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 196.23, finding gaps at will and dispatching anything short with elegant pulls. He brought up his century with a lofted extra-cover drive off Ravindra Jadeja and celebrated with his trademark bow. Sudharsan, his opening partner, contributed a brisk 58 off 32 balls before falling hit-wicket for the second consecutive match — an extraordinary dismissal off Brijesh Sharma. The pair had taken GT to 69 for no loss at the end of the Power-play, rendering RR's total academic from that point on.

RR's 214 Built on Sooryavanshi's Record Knock

Rajasthan's total was constructed on the back of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 96 off 47 balls, studded with eight fours and seven sixes. The teenage sensation, who reached his fifty in 31 balls, added 46 runs off the next 17 deliveries before being caught at third man off Kagiso Rabada, agonisingly short of a second IPL hundred this season. Sooryavanshi's knock made him the quickest batter to reach 1,000 IPL runs and set a new record for the most boundaries by a batter in a single IPL edition. Jadeja, promoted up the order after RR slipped to 9 for 2, made a counter-attacking 45 off 35 balls despite retiring hurt with an elbow injury and returning later. Donovan Ferreira then produced a stunning cameo of 38 not out off just 11 balls, smashing four consecutive sixes off Rashid Khan in the final over — including an inside-out loft over extra cover and a slog sweep over mid-wicket — to lift RR past the 210-run mark.

GT's Chase: Clinical from Ball One

The chase began with Gill and Sudharsan taking apart Jofra Archer, plundering 19 runs off his opening over. Nandre Burger leaked freely as well, with Sudharsan dropped on 14 by Ferreira. The asking rate never threatened GT's composure. After Sudharsan's bizarre exit and Gill's dismissal — trapped lbw by Archer — Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar kept the momentum going. Rahul Tewatia finished the job with successive boundaries and a straight six off Brijesh to seal the victory with eight balls to spare.

GT Head to Their Third IPL Final

The win sends Gujarat Titans into their third IPL final, to be played at their home venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. They will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru — a repeat of Qualifier 1 — with both teams contesting their second IPL title. For RR, the season ends with Sooryavanshi's emergence as a genuine star being the standout storyline despite the defeat.

Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals 214/6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 96, Ravindra Jadeja 45 not out; Jason Holder 2-27, Kagiso Rabada 2-45) lost to Gujarat Titans 219/3 in 18.4 overs (Shubman Gill 104, B Sai Sudharsan 58; Nandre Burger 1-35, Brijesh Sharma 1-44) by seven wickets.