Gujarat Titans (GT) are genuine contenders to lift the IPL 2026 title under Shubman Gill's captaincy, according to former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who praised Gill's authority, bold decision-making, and tactical clarity in steering the side to the playoffs. GT enter the knockout stage as the second-placed team on the points table with 18 points.

GT's Road to the Playoffs

Gujarat Titans, the IPL 2022 champions, will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. The winner earns a direct berth in the final, scheduled for 31 May at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

What Chawla Said About Gill's Leadership

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Champions Waali Commentary', Chawla was effusive in his assessment of Gill's captaincy. 'For any captain, rotating your bowling and batting options effectively is crucial. You may have the weapons, but knowing when to use them at the right moment is what separates good captains from great ones. Shubman Gill has done that job brilliantly this season,' he said.

Chawla added: 'He has captained with great authority and clarity. He has made bold decisions, rotated his bowlers smartly, and handled pressure situations calmly. Gujarat Titans are now at a stage where they look capable of winning the IPL this time. A lot of credit for that must go to the way Gill has led from the front.'

The Gill–Sudharsan Opening Partnership

Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been the standout opening pair of IPL 2026, amassing 702 runs in 13 innings at an average of 58.5 and a strike rate of 171, including two half-century stands and three century partnerships. That aggregate is the highest for any opening pair this season, ahead of Travis Head–Abhishek Sharma (690 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal–Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (622 runs), Virat Kohli–Devdutt Padikkal (552 runs), and Heinrich Klaasen–Ishan Kishan (547 runs).

Over their full IPL careers together, the duo have accumulated 2,760 runs across 46 innings and need just 28 more runs to surpass Kohli and Chris Gayle as the second-highest run-scoring partnership in IPL history. Former India batter Suresh Raina went further, calling them the finest batting pair in IPL history. 'In 46 innings together, they have put up 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more. The next best pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli in third place,' Raina noted, adding that Gill and Sudharsan reached 21 fifty-plus stands in just 46 innings — the fastest in IPL history. By comparison, Gayle and Kohli needed 59 innings, and De Villiers and Kohli required 76 innings.

Expert Perspectives on Their Batting Style

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar reflected on the role of Sudharsan's father, R Bharadwaj — himself a former sportsman — in supporting his son, who leads the IPL 2026 run-scoring charts. 'If you watch Sai Sudharsan's father R Bharadwaj during the match, you will notice one thing that he always prays for his son. These are the blessings of parents that take you far. And Sai Sudharsan has emerged as a star,' Bangar said.

Veteran fast bowler Umesh Yadav highlighted the pair's calculated powerplay approach: 'They don't go for high-risk shots. They bat so smoothly that you feel the runs aren't coming. But when the powerplay ends, you suddenly notice they've already put 60 on the board. That's their class. They play according to their strengths and according to the nature of the pitch.'

With Qualifier 1 in Dharamshala looming, GT's combination of Gill's tactical acumen and the most productive opening partnership in the tournament makes them a formidable force as the final stages of IPL 2026 approach.