IPL 2026: Gill’s 104 trumps Sooryavanshi’s 96 as Gujarat enter final

The greatest batting season by anyone in a T20 tournament became even greater with 96 against the best bowling attack of the tournament on a not-so-straightforward pitch, but a near-solo effort from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi couldn’t drag Rajasthan Royals (RR) into the IPL 2026 final.

Gujarat Titans (GT) executed the second-highest successful chase in any knockout or playoff match in all T20 cricket, setting up a repeat of Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final.

This time, however, GT will be playing at their home ground in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 ended on 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3 with this innings that was just as good as his 97 in the Eliminator albeit slower.

He had to overcome an initially two-paced pitch, a weak RR middle order that turned chaotic with an injury to the new No. 4 Ravindra Jadeja, and a bowling attack that could exploit the conditions.

From his slowest fifty – still only 31 balls – Sooryavanshi got to 96 off 47 but was caught at deep third with a century in sight for the second time in a row.

Sooryavanshi’s shots once again left jaws on the floor, but Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan almost cruised through the chase right from the moment Jofra Archer got off to an indifferent start in the first over.

Both of them followed Sooryavanshi into the 700s for this season but in their own style of taking fewer risks. The difference between the sides, though, was just that: Sooryavanshi was one, Gill and Sudharsan two. (ESPNcricinfo)