“Happy to get the win”: Shubman Gill delighted after winning POTM and stroming i – IPL 2026 Qualifier 2: Shubman Gill Century Guides GT to Final
Contents
- 1 The Ultimate Playoff Showdown: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals
- 2 A Toss Wrapped in Rare Controversy
- 3 Early Shockers and the Royals’ Resolute Fightback
- 4 Late-Overs Onslaught Propels RR to a Massive Total
- 5 The Perfect Chase: Gill and Sudharsan Set the Tone
- 6 Captain Gill’s Century Seals the Final Spot
- 7 Post-Match Reactions: “Happy to Get the Win”
The Ultimate Playoff Showdown: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals
The high-stakes TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 2 match at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur witnessed a spectacular exhibition of modern T20 cricket. With a spot in the grand final on the line, the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) locked horns in a highly anticipated encounter. Ultimately, it turned into the Shubman Gill show, as the GT captain led from the front with a masterful century, guiding his team to a convincing 7-wicket victory.
A Toss Wrapped in Rare Controversy
Even before the first ball was bowled, drama unfolded at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. A rare controversy occurred during the coin toss, which had to be conducted twice. The match official was unable to hear the initial call made by Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag. Consequently, the toss was re-done, falling in favor of the Royals. Parag elected to bat first on a promising Mullanpur surface. While the Royals decided to stick with their playing eleven, the Gujarat Titans made a tactical adjustment, bringing in spinner R Sai Kishore to bolster their bowling attack.
Early Shockers and the Royals’ Resolute Fightback
Opting to bat first, the Rajasthan Royals got off to the worst possible start. Their explosive opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed early for just one run, and Dhruv Jurel soon followed him back to the pavilion after scoring only 7. Struggling at a precarious 9/2, the Men in Pink found themselves in deep trouble. However, the recovery was nothing short of spectacular, spearheaded by the youthful exuberance of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the seasoned experience of Ravindra Jadeja.
Sooryavanshi was in sublime touch, reaching his half-century in just 31 deliveries. Meanwhile, Jadeja anchor-rolled his way to 34 runs before being forced to retire hurt due to an injury concern. But the drama was far from over. Following a couple of quick wickets, Jadeja had to courageously return to the crease. Sooryavanshi continued his onslaught, shifting gears effortlessly to put the Titans’ bowlers under immense pressure. Cruelly, the youngster fell just short of a landmark ton, dismissed on 96 runs.
Late-Overs Onslaught Propels RR to a Massive Total
With the platform set, Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira went berserk in the final five overs of the innings. Ferreira assumed the role of the primary aggressor, smashing a sensational, unbeaten 38 off just 11 deliveries. Jadeja remained rock-solid at the other end, finishing unbeaten on 45. Their late-overs blitzkrieg helped the Rajasthan Royals finish their 20 overs with an imposing total of 214/6, setting up a challenging chase for the Titans.
The Perfect Chase: Gill and Sudharsan Set the Tone
Chasing 215 in a playoff match is a monumental task, but the Gujarat Titans openers made it look like a walk in the park. Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan launched a blistering counter-attack right from the outset, bringing up the team’s fifty in just four overs. They capitalised heavily on the powerplay, motoring to 69/0 in the first six overs. The duo looked completely untroubled as they notched up a sensational 100-run partnership, with skipper Gill bringing up his individual half-century in 30 balls.
Just as the partnership reached 167 runs, tragedy struck for Sai Sudharsan. In a bizarre turn of events, the talented left-hander was dismissed hit-wicket for 58, missing out on a well-deserved finish. Despite the breakthrough, the damage had already been done, and the Royals had no answers to the Titans’ batting depth.
Captain Gill’s Century Seals the Final Spot
Shubman Gill continued his relentless march, bringing up a magnificent century in just 47 balls. His masterful knock of 104 runs put the Titans on the cusp of a memorable victory. Though Gill was dismissed shortly before the finish line, the experienced Rahul Tewatia ensured there were no further hiccups. Tewatia remained unbeaten on 17*, hitting the winning runs to secure a 7-wicket win and storm into the IPL 2026 final.
Post-Match Reactions: “Happy to Get the Win”
Unsurprisingly, Shubman Gill was named the Player of the Match for his extraordinary batting performance. Reflecting on the game and the early toss confusion, the GT captain expressed his satisfaction: “There was some confusion there but happy to get the win. We complement each other well, we understand each other very well and when we communicate we know what bowler to take down.”
Addressing his batting rhythm, Gill added: “I don’t think I have seen anything, no one has seen anything like that in two matches in a row. It was all about I was in a kind of zone, I was looking at the bowlers and seeing the ball, picking my spots to score the runs.”
Gill concluded by praising his team’s depth and balance heading into the final: “That’s what happens when you are batting well. We got a total, and once we got off to a start, I wanted to finish the game. We are very fortunate to have very good bowlers, Sai Kishore didn’t even have a bowl today.”
