IPL: Shubman Gill's captain's knock leads GT to third final in 5 years

Shubman Gill's magnificent 104 off 53 balls led GT to a victory against Rajasthan Royals, securing a place in the IPL final. Anil Kumble praised the captain's knock, which anchored a record-breaking chase of 215 runs in the knockout match.

Shubman Gill played a captain's knock in the must-win game against Rajasthan Royals and led his side to its third IPL final in the last five years. Gill made 104 off 53 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes, which helped GT chase down a 215-run target successfully with eight balls and seven wickets to spare. Gill added 167 runs for the first wicket with Sai Sudharsan, and former India spinner Anil Kumble praised him for his knock.

Kumble Hails 'Clinical' Captain's Innings

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live', JioStar expert Kumble heaped praise on Gill for his Captain's innings in a knockout game. "It was clinical. The way he approached his batting, you could see that he was really switched on and wanted to get to that final. He would obviously have been disappointed with the performance against RCB in Qualifier 1. But the way he batted, he just took the bowlers on. As Sai Sudharsan mentioned, they wanted to go hard in the first over, make a statement, and then continue from there," said Kumble."The way Shubman batted, not just against the fast bowlers but even against spin, was outstanding. He used his feet brilliantly against Ravindra Jadeja. It was a chanceless, classic innings, a typical Shubman innings. To reach a final with a hundred, it was truly a captain's knock," he added.

GT Completes Record Playoff Chase

After GT put RR to bat first, a fine knock from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (96 in 47 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and a cameo from Donovan Ferreira (38* in 11 balls, with two fours and four sixes) took the Royals to 214/6 in 20 overs. Later in the chase of 215 runs, skipper Shubman Gill (104 in 53 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) and his 167-run stand with Sai Sudharsan (58 in 32 balls, with eight fours and a six) set the platform for a three-wicket win. This was the highest target chased in the IPL playoffs, outdoing the target of 204 chased by Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Mumbai Indians (MI) in last year's Qualifier two. This is also GT's highest IPL run-chase, outdoing their 204-run chase against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2025.

Ashwin Previews the Final Showdown

Now, RR will clash with RCB in a 'Royal Clash' for the title. Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin looked ahead to the IPL 2026 final between RCB and GT. "The two most consistent teams have reached the final. Both finished on 18 points after the league stage, so they deserve to be there. I have always said that GT have been the surprise package for me. I never expected them to have the strength to reach the final. I still feel it's 50-50. But if GT win this time, and you must have heard about 'Money Heist', this would be the IPL heist," said Ashwin. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)