New Chandigarh: There are cricket matches. Then there are nights that rewrite record books, break hearts, and remind you why you fell in love with the game in the first place. Friday night at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium was that kind of night.
Gujarat Titans chased down 215 runs in 18.4 overs to beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in IPL 2026’s Qualifier 2 — the highest successful chase in IPL history. The architect of this heist was their captain, Shubman Gill, who smashed a brutal 47-ball century and made one of the stiffest chases in T20 history look like a weekend net session.
The Kid Carried a Team on His Shoulders
Before we get to Gill, we have to talk about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, because what the 15-year-old did in this match deserved to be on the winning side.
After RR lost Yashasvi Jaiswal to Mohammed Siraj for just one run in the opening over, Sooryavanshi walked out and simply refused to let his side collapse. On a two-paced Mullanpur pitch, against a bowling attack that included Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan at their sharpest, the teenager batted with the composure of a ten-year veteran. He brought up his sixth IPL fifty of the season in just 31 balls, and when he passed 80, a second consecutive knockout century — he had scored 97 in the Eliminator — felt like a formality.
It wasn’t. On 96 off 47, going for a big shot over deep third — the same dismissal that had ended his Eliminator innings — a Rabada bouncer climbed too steep on him. A thick edge. Caught. The stadium fell silent for a moment. Sooryavanshi walked off to a standing ovation, barely keeping it together. In the dugout afterward, he sat with his face buried in his Orange Cap while Gujarat’s players celebrated around him. His 2026 season ends at 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3 — perhaps the greatest individual batting season in the history of T20 cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s 96 off 47 was a masterclass. It just wasn’t enough. That’s the cruellest part.
Ravindra Jadeja did his bit with a composed 45 not out off 35, and Donovan Ferreira provided a late fireworks display — 38 off just 11 balls — to push RR to 214 for 6. Rashid Khan’s final over went for 27. On paper, RR had posted a total that should have defended.
Gill and Sudharsan Made It Look Easy — That’s the Scary Part
Gujarat’s reply started with the kind of intent that tells you immediately the chase is already over in the batters’ heads. Jofra Archer — one of the most dangerous death bowlers in the world — conceded 19 runs in his first over without so much as a sharp appeal.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan together were magnificent. They finished the powerplay at 69 for 0, and simply never slowed down. Gill brought up his fifty in 30 balls. Sudharsan followed in 26. By the 12th over, GT were 156 for 0, and the match was done as a contest. The pair put on 167 for the first wicket — the highest opening stand in any IPL knockout match, eclipsing their own record of 160 set earlier in this very season.
Gill was finally dismissed for 104 off 53 after the equation was down to a handful of runs. Fifteen fours, three sixes, and an exhibition of timing and power that reminded everyone why he is regarded as one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the game. It was the fastest century ever by a Gujarat Titans player in the IPL, and his fifth IPL hundred overall — drawing level with Sanju Samson on the all-time list.
Sudharsan fell for 58 off 32, hit-wicket — a recurring quirk that’s starting to become a talking point — but the damage was long done. GT crossed the line with eight balls to spare.
A record chase to reach the summit clash ✨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 30, 2026
🎥 Raw reactions from the Titans as they march into their 3️⃣rd #Final in 5️⃣ seasons 💙#TATAIPL | #Qualifier2 | #TheFinalLeap | #GTvRR | @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/Q7IyvqBv0z
History Is Made, a Final Awaits
The win sets up a mouth-watering repeat of the Qualifier 1 final — Gujarat Titans vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31. GT lost that game, which makes Sunday’s final a revenge mission, played at home in front of what will be a packed and deafening crowd.
With Gill in this form and GT’s pace attack led by Rabada and Prasidh Krishna clicking at the right time, they look like genuine title contenders. RCB, the defending champions, will have a say in that. But after what happened in Mullanpur on Friday night, you back this Gujarat side to show up when it matters.
As for Rajasthan and Sooryavanshi — the season is over, but the story has only just begun. At 15, he has already done things no cricketer his age has ever done. There will be many more nights like this, except next time, hopefully, his innings will end on the winning side.
- Result: Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets (219/3 vs 214/6). Player of the Match: Shubman Gill (104 off 53).