Overdependence on them never really disappoints

Former India cricketer Zaheer Khan stated that Gujarat Titans’ (GT) overdependence on their opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan never disappoints the side. His remarks came following GT’s win over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 on Friday, May 29, in New Chandigarh.

Opting to bat first, RR posted 214/6, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi leading the way with 96 off 47 balls. In response, GT’s Gill and Sudharsan added 167 runs off 77 balls for the opening wicket. Sudharsan made 58 off 32 deliveries, while Gill smashed a century, finishing with 104 off 53 balls, as Gujarat went on to win the game by seven wickets with eight balls remaining.

Speaking during a discussion on Cricbuzz, Zaheer lauded the Gill-Sudharsan duo, noting that they delivered when it mattered the most. The 47-year-old stated that their partnership dominated the run chase and made the task easier for the side. He said:

“Their overdependence on them never really disappoints GT. You know, that’s the beauty of it. I think on the whole, when you look at the most runs scored in the tournament, you have the top three playing today. You have Vaibhav, Sai Sudharsan, you have Shubman Gill. I think the advantage GT had is that there are two of them who are in sublime form and making sure, when it matters the most, they deliver for the team.

“That partnership pretty much dominated the run chase. Made it so easy and swift for Gujarat Titans to go through. It’s just amazing, isn’t it, how these two understand each other. They’ve been stitching 100-plus partnerships pretty consistently, and I think we often talk about the template which Gujarat Titans have, and these two players are such important parts of that whole template for it to work,” he added.

Across 15 innings in the ongoing season, the duo have put together 886 runs at an average of 63.28, registering two half-century and four century stands.

“They understand each other” – Murali Kartik on GT’s Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan

In the same discussion, former India spinner Murali Kartik noted that Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan complement each other well and do not try to outshine one another. Instead, they adapt their roles to suit the match situation, which has been the key to their successful partnerships. He said:

“The openers putting together a wonderful partnership, just the way they play, just the way they dovetail, just the way they play second fiddle to one another when required depending on the situation. If one is out of the gates quickly, the other one tends to go quiet. If Sai Sudharsan goes, then it’s Shubman Gill. So they understand each other. I think that is what has stood for them in whatever partnerships that they have had.”

GT will now return to action on Sunday, May 31, when they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad.