New Delhi: Gujarat Titans (GT) are in the playoffs for the third time in just four years of their existence in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and just a couple of wins away from making it to their third final in just four seasons. GT comfortably brushed aside Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday to bag their ninth win of the season and book a spot in the top four while retaining the top spot on the points table.
Barring their stuttering campaign last year, where they missed out on a spot in the playoffs, the Gujarat Titans have arguably been one of the most consistent teams in the IPL ever since their debut in 2022. With a settled backroom staff led by the cool and composed Ashish Nehra and a solid squad in their ranks, GT have been unstoppable this season.
Many felt the void left by Hardik Pandya’s departure would be too big a gaping hole to plug when Gujarat Titans underperformed last season, struggling to replicate the heroics of the past. But, they are back at it once again this year. Gujarat Titans might not appeal to the general T20 fan, who are overdosed with the razzmatazz of franchise cricket, but they know what works for them and how to earn results.
GT players are dominating both the Orange Cap and Purple Cap races this season, and their performances have reflected in the side’s results. GT became the first team to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2025 after getting to 18 points with 9 wins from 12 matches, in the process, also confirming Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s spots in the top four.
While their bowling attack has been exceptional, it’s the consistency of their batters that has played a key role in helping GT attain immense success so far this season. Skipper Shubman Gill and his opening partner Sai Sudharsan have been the two strongest pillars behind their stupendous batting dominance. churning out runs at an incredible consistency while making it look like a walk in the park.
Gill and Sudharsan make run-scoring look easy
Gill and Sudharsan have both enjoyed stellar seasons, doing the bulk of scoring for Gujarat Titans and dominating the run-scoring charts to an extent where the duo have made their middle-order appear non-existent. The opening pair have made batting look easy this season, churning out runs one game after another, making batting look a fairly easy task.
Sudharsan and Gill have both notched up over 600 runs already this season, and are the only two batters to have done so. While Sudharsan is on top of the run-scoring charts in IPL 2025 so far with 617 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of over 156, Gill is not too far behind with 601 runs from as many games, striking at an impressive 155.69.
The duo shared an unbeaten 205-run stand against Delhi Capitals on Sunday to take GT home comfortably in the 200-run chase, wrapping up a 10-wicket win with an over to spare. It was the first instance of a team chasing down a 200-run target without losing a wicket in the IPL. Their unbroken 205-run stand is also the highest opening stand while chasing in the tournament’s history.
The partnership was also the latest instance of the GT opening pair showcasing how they complement each other perfectly. Both Gill and Sudharsan bat on a similar tempo, have similar templates, but are yet unique in their own ways and have exceptional range in terms of strokeplay, which makes them super effective in T20 cricket.
They rarely go gung-ho and attack mercilessly, but still possess that sting in their batting that is enough to deflate the best of bowling attacks. As a pair, Gill and Sudharsan have scored an impressive 839 runs in 12 matches this season at an average of over 76, including as many as three hundred-plus stands. In 7 out of the 12 innings, the pair has added over 50 runs together, helping GT win the Powerplay and set the base for their victories.
Are Gill and Sudharsan too conventional?
Gill and Sudharsan might appear too conventional from the sidelines, but that isn’t the case. As a pair, they have arguably been the most effective, batting for long periods consistently, switching gears seamlessly in their partnerships. Both Gill and Sudharsan are among the leading boundary-hitters in the IPL 2025 and have done so while trusting their solid technique and traditional strokeplay.
Sudharsan has hit 68 fours and 20 sixes this season, while Gill has smashed 54 fours and 23 sixes for Gujarat Titans. Sudharsan has hit more fours than any other batter in the IPL this year, while Gill is third with only Yashasi Jaiswal (55) ahead of him. In terms of sixes, Gill’s 23 ranks him 7th on the list of batters with the most sixes this season.
“What it shows you is the class of that batting pair. They are proper batters that have the technique that can weather any storm but also… they have both developed this over time, they have learnt how to move through the gears. They may have only had three gears in previous years, both of them have five gears they can shift to,” Moody told ESPN Cricinfo after Sudharsan and Gill’s chase masterclass against DC on Sunday.
Both Gill and Sudharsan have formed a nearly indestructible opening pair for Gujarat Titans at the top and have consistently fired them to great starts, playing a huge part in the team’s success this season. But the duo would know the job is only half done yet, as heading into the business end of the tournament with an untested middle order will only mean more pressure for them.
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been incredibly consistent for Gujarat Titans, firing regularly at the top to power their team into the IPL 2025 playoffs. The opening pair has played a key role in the team’s success in the ongoing season. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
