Gujarat Titans bounced back in emphatic style to secure their spot in the IPL 2026 Grand Final. Shubman Gill's side produced a clinical all-round display to cruise past Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2 at Chandigarh.
Restricting Rajasthan Royals to a below-par 159/8, the Titans chased down the target with 10 balls to spare. A brilliant opening stand of 105 between Shubman Gill (61) and Sai Sudharsan (54) made the chase look effortless. Gujarat Titans have now set up a highly anticipated rematch of Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Grand Final on May 31.
Bowlers Set Up the Win
Winning the toss and electing to field, GT's bowlers justified their captain's call immediately. Mohammed Siraj bowled a fiery opening spell, getting the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal early. Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan then strangled the middle overs, restricting RR's scoring. Rashid Khan was particularly effective, returning figures of 2 for 21.
Despite a fighting 42 from Riyan Parag, the Royals could never find the acceleration they needed. They finished on 159/8, a total that seemed at least 20 runs short of a par score on this pitch.
Gill and Sudharsan Put on a Masterclass
The chase was a simple matter of calculated accumulation. Gill and Sudharsan started aggressively, scoring 58 runs in the powerplay. Gill was elegant, finding gaps with surgical precision, while Sudharsan took the attack to RR's spinners, hit two huge sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin.
By the time the partnership was broken in the 13th over, the result was a foregone conclusion. Even though both openers fell in quick succession, Jos Buttler guided the team home comfortably alongside Rahul Tewatia, hitting a boundary to seal the win in the 19th over.
"After Qualifier 1, we wanted to show our character. The bowlers were excellent in putting RR under pressure early. Sai and I just wanted to build a solid partnership, and it came off perfectly. RCB is a great team, but we are ready for the final." — Shubman Gill, GT Captain
Gujarat Titans will now face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 31 for the ultimate IPL 2026 crown.