Shubman Gill’s century takes Gujarat Titans to IPL 2026 final – Shubman Gill Century Guides Gujarat Titans to IPL 2026 Final

Gill’s Historic Century Seals Final Berth for Gujarat Titans

The Gujarat Titans have marched into the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Playing on a challenging, slow surface in New Chandigarh, the Titans chased down a formidable target of 215 runs with eight balls to spare. The chase was masterminded by skipper Shubman Gill, whose sensational century anchored the innings and etched his name into the tournament’s history books.

With this victory, the Gujarat Titans are scheduled to face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the highly anticipated IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31. Gill’s match-winning performance ensured that the Titans completed their high-stakes chase in exactly 18.4 overs, keeping their composure under immense playoff pressure.

Rajasthan Royals Post 214 Despite Early Shocks

Earlier in the evening, Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag won the toss and elected to set a target on the New Chandigarh track. The decision initially seemed to backfire as the Titans’ bowling attack struck early. Left-handed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for just 1 run off 2 deliveries, while Dhruv Jurel fell shortly after scoring 7 runs off 5 balls. With only 9 runs on the scoreboard, the Royals found themselves in deep trouble.

However, young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stepped up to play the most challenging and impressive innings of his IPL career. Sooryavanshi launched a spectacular counter-attack, smashing a brilliant 96 runs off just 47 deliveries. His explosive knock was decorated with 8 boundaries and 7 towering sixes, single-handedly reviving the Rajasthan innings. While skipper Riyan Parag (11) and Dhruv Jurel (7) endured disappointing outings with the bat, the middle order provided crucial support to keep the runs flowing.

Ravindra Jadeja, who was promoted up the batting order, suffered an injury scare and had to retire hurt. However, showing immense resilience, the veteran all-rounder returned to the middle to contribute an unbeaten 45 runs off 35 balls, hitting 5 fours and a six. Donovan Ferreira then provided the perfect finishing touches to the innings, blasting a quickfire 38 not out off a mere 11 deliveries, a cameo laced with 4 sixes and 2 fours, pushing the Rajasthan Royals’ total to a highly competitive 214.

Among the Gujarat bowlers, Jason Holder was the standout performer, returning exceptionally disciplined figures of 2 for 27 in his quota of 4 overs. Kagiso Rabada also delivered a crucial spell, picking up 2 wickets for 35 runs. While Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive on the night, both bowlers managed to claim one wicket apiece to disrupt the Royals’ momentum.

The Shubman Gill Show: A Captain’s Masterclass

Faced with a steep target of 215 on a slow outfield, the Gujarat Titans needed a strong start, and their opening pair delivered precisely that. Captain Shubman Gill and the in-form Sai Sudharsan put on a sensational 167-run partnership for the first wicket, completely demoralizing the Rajasthan Royals’ bowling unit.

Gill was in sublime touch from the outset, executing elegant drives and powerful lofted shots. He reached his fifth IPL century in style, finishing with a magnificent 104 runs off 53 balls. His commanding knock included 15 fours and 3 sixes. With this milestone, Gill achieved a historic feat, becoming the first captain in IPL history to score a century in an IPL playoff match.

His opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, played an equally vital role, anchoring the chase with a quickfire 58 runs off 32 deliveries, including 8 fours and a six. However, his promising innings came to a bizarre end when he was dismissed hit wicket off the bowling of Brijesh Sharma. Remarkably, this marked the second consecutive match in which Sudharsan was dismissed hit wicket, having suffered the exact same fate in Qualifier 1 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Titans Cruise to the Target

The breakthrough for Rajasthan came when Jofra Archer finally dismissed Shubman Gill, but by then, the damage had already been done. With the foundation firmly laid, experienced finishers Jos Buttler and Rahul Tewatia guided the Titans home without further hiccups. Buttler remained unbeaten on 9 runs off 9 balls, while Tewatia scored a brisk 17 not out off 9 deliveries to wrap up the chase in the 19th over.

The Gujarat Titans will now travel to Ahmedabad, where they are set to battle it out against RCB for the coveted IPL 2026 trophy on May 31 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium.