Gujarat Titans ran into the IPL 2025 playoffs in style as B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill added a decisive unbeaten stand, scoring 108 and 93 respectively, to overwhelm Delhi Capitals by ten wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
The game got underway with a thrilling innings by KL Rahul, who stayed at 112 not out off 65 balls, adorning his innings with 14 boundaries and four sixes, and taking DC to a strong total of 199/3. The Titans' openers, however, made easy work of the chase, reaching the target in 19 overs with clean, measured shot choice and classical strokeplay, never seeming to be under pressure.
Sudharsan, whose 108* in 61 balls included 12 fours and four sixes, recorded his second IPL century. Gill, on the other hand, fell short of a century by a whisker with 93* from 53 deliveries, hitting three fours and seven sixes.
With this comprehensive win, Gujarat not only earned their third successive playoff qualification but also moved to the top of the points table, establishing their title aspiration credentials. The result also sealed playoff qualification for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, leaving Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants fighting the last spot.
Sudharsan joined the action as an Impact Player, coming in for Prasidh Krishna, and did not take long to make his presence felt. He hit Axar Patel to the boundary early, and then Gill smashed a six over deep mid-wicket to finish the first over. Sudharsan went on to destroy T Natarajan in the second over, hitting a six and then a succession of perfectly timed boundaries.
Piling on the pressure, Sudharsan cut and swept Axar Patel for back-to-back boundaries before sending Mustafizur Rahman over the infield. After the powerplay, GT had sailed to 59 for no loss. Sudharsan got to his fifty in 30 balls, seeing two DRS referrals come his way in the process, while Gill followed him soon enough with a lofted shot off Axar over mid-off and later stepping out to Kuldeep Yadav to hit one down the ground.
Gill, almost knocked back by Chameera at cover, completed his half-century off 33 balls with a textbook straight drive, after also treating the crowd to a pick-up six later. Together, the pair scored 150 runs in a flash, with Gill launching Vipraj Nigam over the stands and Sudharsan guiding Mustafizur nicely before pounding Natarajan straight down the ground.
Sudharsan brought up his ton off 56 deliveries by hitting Kuldeep over the ropes for six, pumping his fist in triumph and flashing a look towards the Gujarat dugout. Appropriately, he finished off the game with a six off Nigam down the ground, clinching a comprehensive victory for the Titans.
Earlier in the game, KL Rahul staged a masterclass in placement and timing. He hit two boundaries in the initial over off Mohammed Siraj—one a result of a misfield and the other a sharp back-foot cut. After Faf du Plessis went early, Rahul took complete charge of the innings.
He rewarded Siraj's short ball with a cut behind point and a strong pull over mid-on. When he faced Kagiso Rabada, Rahul demonstrated his T20 skills, stepping across to pull a short ball over square leg for six and then cutting him over point. His six down the ground off Rabada was a highlight, punctuating a 17-run last powerplay over as DC moved to 45/1.
Rahul spin the strike effectively and took his fifty home in 35 balls with a boundary off Rashid Khan to the amusement of the Delhi fans. Lucky to get away with a top-edge opportunity, he went on to mesmerize with flowing shots, such as a down-the-ground six off Rabada and three boundaries off Sai Kishore that showcased both timing and placement.
Even after getting restricted strike in the last overs, Rahul propelled Prasidh Krishna for a long drive and a pull to get to his century, the first batter to score IPL tons for three teams—Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and now Delhi Capitals. He completed the innings with two elegant boundaries against Siraj via reverse-paddle and a perfectly timed drive.
But Rahul's genius was not enough against GT's opening pair, who set up one of the most clinical run chases of the season.
Match Summary:
Delhi Capitals: 199/3 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 112*, Abishek Porel 30; Arshad Khan 1-7, Prasidh Krishna 1-40)
Gujarat Titans: 205/0 in 19 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 108*, Shubman Gill 93*)
Result: Gujarat Titans won by 10 wickets
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