IPL 2026: GT skipper Shubman Gill praises Sai Sudharsan's consistency
What's the story
Gujarat Titans's captain, Shubman Gill, has praised the consistency and intensity of his teammate Sai Sudharsan. The praise comes as the Titans prepare for their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Gill emphasized that Sudharsan's ability to maintain the same intensity in every match is one of his greatest strengths. Here's more.
Unique trait
Gill lauds Sudharsan's unwavering intensity
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday's clash, Gill highlighted the difficulty of maintaining consistency over a two-month tournament like the IPL. "I think in a tournament like IPL, when I first started playing, one of the challenges that I faced was to keep playing the matches at the same intensity and I think that is one of his [Sai Sudharsan's] biggest strength" The Titans had asked Sudharsan to conserve his energy throughout last season. But Gill believes this is one of Sudharsan's biggest strengths - his unwavering intensity and discipline away from cricket.
Words
Gill speaks about his relation with Sudharsan
"You know we spend a lot of time in the IPL together on the field, off field as well and then we are in the Test team as well, so we have a lot of conversations. There are things that we talk about cricket, outside of cricket," Gill said ahead of the final. "But I think there are many players in our team who also play for the country and hopefully we are going to play together for a long period of time and it's very important for us to have to know each other well to have a great equation that automatically translates to on-field performances."
Duo
Gill and Sudharsan help GT reach IPL 2026 final
Gill and Sudharsan helped Gujarat beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026. The duo added 167 runs for the 1st wicket in a chase of 215 in Mullanpur. Gill ended up getting 104 whereas Sudharsan managed a quickfire 58 off 32 balls. Gill and Sudharsan's 167-run stand became the highest in IPL playoffs, surpassing 159 runs Michael Hussey & Murali Vijay (CSK) vs RCB, Chennai, 2011 Final. Gill and Sudharsan added their 11th century-plus stand in T20s (all in IPL).
Game evolution
Gill on changing dynamics of high-scoring IPL matches
Gill also spoke about how the IPL has changed over the years, with higher scores becoming more common. He attributed this to changing scheduling dynamics and fresher surfaces as major contributors to the rise in high-scoring matches. The Titans will head into the final after a tough journey from Dharamsala to Mullanpur and now Ahmedabad in five days.
Final focus
'Finals are all about mental strength'
Gill downplayed the physical difference between his team and RCB, who secured a direct entry through Qualifier 1. He said, "Physically they might have an advantage but I think finals are all about mental [strength]." The Titans will play their final at their home ground in Ahmedabad. Gill sees this as an advantage due to familiarity with the wicket and ground conditions.