Suresh Raina picks IPL's best opening pair: Check out
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has termed the opening pair of Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, as the best in IPL history. Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Champions Waali Commentary,' Raina praised their consistency and ability to build partnerships at an unmatched pace. The duo has been instrumental for GT in IPL 2026, continuing their dominance from last season.
Partnership milestones
GT duo joins elite list of opening pairs
Gill and Sudharsan recently registered their 10th century-plus stand, now the joint-most in T20s for any wicket. They joined legendary combinations like Virat Kohli-Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers, and Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan. Raina highlighted that in their 46 innings together, they have formed 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more. This is the fastest in IPL history as Gayle-Kohli took 59 innings and de Villiers-Kohli did this in 76 innings.
Game strategy
Raina praises the duo's approach to batting
Raina also praised the duo for their ability to control innings without playing too many risky shots. He said, "They pick the right bowlers to target. One uses the pace of the bowler, while the other uses the angle to create room for his shots." This strategy has the Titans as one of the most consistent batting sides in IPL history.
Season stats
Gill and Sudharsan have been sensational in IPL 2026
Gill and Sudharsan have added seven 100-plus partnerships this season. They have also crossed the 600-run mark individually. Former India pacer Umesh Yadav also praised their approach to powerplay overs without unnecessary risks. He said, "They bat so smoothly that you feel the runs aren't coming." The duo will once again carry GT's batting hopes when they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1.
Information
Second-most aggregate runs as opening pair
According to Cricbuzz, Gill and Sudharsan have 1,942 runs between them with an average of 60-plus. They are only behind David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan as an opening pair in IPL history (2,220 runs).