Gill and Sai Sudharsan silence strike-rate critics as Titans reach IPL Final

Questions have frequently been raised about the pair's strike rates, both in previous seasons and throughout IPL 2026, with some critics suggesting the prolific duo possess an upper limit when it comes to accelerating an innings.

However, they once again silenced those concerns during Friday's successful chase of 215 against Rajasthan Royals.

Gill and Sai Sudharsan put together a stunning 167-run stand from just 77 deliveries, with Gill taking on the role of aggressor during the partnership.

Sai Sudharsan contributed a brisk 58 from 32 balls as Gujarat completed the chase and secured their place in the final.

Despite the ongoing discussion around scoring rates, Gujarat Titans director of cricket Vikram Solanki remains unconcerned, stressing that both batters continue to make invaluable contributions to the team's success.

"I thought all of their qualities were on display today. And it's been a good number of years that that partnership has been flourishing," Solanki said at the press conference after GT's win.

"It is on the back of a lot of hard work. I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is as far as his batting is concerned. He's an exceptional young man.

"And sometimes you have to realise he's still a young man. And be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.

"And Sai is no less so. He might be a little younger in his journey, but you can see that he takes a fine example from Shubman and understands that actually his skills are what you and I might view as batsmanship, the sort of traditional form of batting.

"But there is no doubt in my mind that if a situation requires them to up the run rate and the wicket actually suits them playing that way, then they can adapt.

"And I think that's their finest quality, their ability to adapt, given any sort of situation, given any wicket, given any opposition. That along with the fact that they have an immense appetite for run-scoring. Good habits to have."

The partnership also underlined their remarkable consistency. Since batting together from IPL 2022 onwards, Gill and Sai Sudharsan have amassed 2,944 runs as a pair, the second-highest aggregate in IPL history behind only AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli's 3,123 runs between 2011 and 2020.

Sai Sudharsan, who played only a limited role during Gujarat's maiden title-winning campaign in 2022, claimed the Orange Cap last season with 759 runs, while Gill finished fourth with 650.

This season, Gill has scored 722 runs and Sai Sudharsan 710, with only Vaibhav Sooryavanshi recording a higher tally than either batter.