Majestic Gill Overshadows Sooryavanshi Blitz As GT Storm Into Third IPL Final

Shubman Gill produced a batting masterclass of the highest quality as Gujarat Titans outclassed Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Qualifier 2 on Friday to enter their third Indian Premier League final in five seasons.

Chasing a daunting 215-run target on a used surface, Gujarat Titans made the task look surprisingly easy thanks to a breathtaking 167-run opening partnership between Gill and Sai Sudharsan . Gill dazzled with a superb 104 off 53 balls , while Sudharsan smashed 58 off 32 deliveries as GT chased down the target in just 18.4 overs .

The victory set up a final showdown against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Earlier, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again lit up the tournament with a sensational 96 off 47 balls , carrying Rajasthan Royals to a competitive 214 for six after they opted to bat first.

The 15-year-old prodigy displayed maturity and fearless strokeplay despite Rajasthan losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel inside the second over. Gujarat’s pace trio of Mohammed Siraj , Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna attacked him with short-pitched deliveries and tight lines on a sluggish pitch, but Sooryavanshi gradually found rhythm.

One of the standout moments of his innings came when he smashed Rabada’s 153 kmph delivery straight down the ground for a stunning six. He also attacked Jason Holder with audacious strokes during the middle overs and looked set for a memorable hundred before getting caught at third man off Rabada for 96.

Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja , promoted to number four, played a valuable supporting role with an unbeaten 45 off 35 balls . Battling a tennis elbow issue, Jadeja briefly retired hurt before returning in the death overs to support Ferreira , who hammered 38 not out off 11 balls .

GT appeared set to restrict Royals below 200 before Ferreira launched a brutal assault on Rashid Khan in the final over, collecting a barrage of sixes in a costly 27-run over .

Despite the imposing total, Rajasthan’s bowling unit failed to put Gujarat under pressure. The much-anticipated spell from Jofra Archer never arrived as the England pacer went wicketless in the powerplay while the other bowlers also struggled to contain the Titans openers.

Gill and Sudharsan mixed elegance with aggression throughout the chase, relying more on classical cricketing strokes than pure power-hitting. Gill, especially, looked in complete control against both pace and spin.

He repeatedly punished Archer with effortless pull shots and used his feet beautifully against the spinners. Gill reached his century in style with a boundary over extra cover and finished with 15 fours and three sixes in one of the finest knocks of the season.

The innings also strengthened Gill’s case for a return to India’s T20 setup after being left out ahead of the last World Cup.

For Gujarat Titans, the win underlined their remarkable consistency since entering the IPL in 2022. They won the title in their debut season, reached another final in 2023 and now stand one victory away from reclaiming the trophy.

For Rajasthan Royals, however, the season ended in disappointment despite another extraordinary effort from Sooryavanshi, whose fearless batting has emerged as one of the biggest stories of this IPL season.