Raina Declares GT IPL Openers Best Ever: Gill-Sudharsan Called Greater Than Kohli-Gayle Duo

Just before the big RCB vs GT clash, former cricketer Suresh Raina has made a huge claim. He says Gujarat Titans' openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the best opening pair in IPL history. Raina even backed it up with stats, saying they've left legends like Kohli-Gayle and Kohli-de Villiers behind.

Mumbai: The stage is set for a massive clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans in the first IPL Qualifier. But just before the match, former player Suresh Raina has dropped a bombshell that will surely boost the Gujarat camp. Raina has called Gujarat's opening duo, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, the best opening pair in the history of the IPL. He praised their amazing consistency, game sense, and their knack for building quick partnerships.

Sai-Gill Duo Leaves Behind Virat Kohli-Chris Gayle Pair

This young pair has been the backbone of Gujarat's batting this season, just like the last one. They recently hit their 10th century stand, joining an elite T20 club with legends like Virat Kohli-Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers, and Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan. 'In the history of the TATA IPL, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the best opening batting pair,' Raina said. 'In 46 innings together, they've built 21 partnerships of 50+ runs.'

Raina broke down the numbers to prove his point. 'The Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli pair is second on this list, and the AB de Villiers-Kohli pair is third. But the amazing part is, Gill and Sai did this in just 46 innings. That's the fastest in IPL history. Gayle and Kohli took 59 innings to get there, while de Villiers and Kohli needed 76 innings,' he explained.

'Their consistency is just unbelievable. They take their time to build an innings but keep the dot balls to a minimum. They know exactly which bowler to target and when. One uses the bowler's pace, while the other finds the right angles to score runs. No other pair has shown this kind of stability this season,' the former Chennai Super Kings star added.

High-Voltage RCB vs Gujarat Titans Match Today:

The 19th edition of the IPL playoffs kicks off today. In Qualifier 1, defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Gujarat Titans. The match, starting at 7:30 PM, will be held at the Dharamshala stadium. The winning team goes straight to the final, while the losing team gets another shot. And here's a twist: if the match gets washed out due to rain, RCB will go to the final because they finished No. 1 on the points table.