Gujarat Titans (Image: X)
Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 to ensure their third ISL final in five years of their ISL journey. One of the most dominant teams in the league, Gujarat are now on the verge of winning their second ISL title after lifting their inaugural trophy in 2022.
Their IPL 2026 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride. After a difficult start, they dominated the second half of the season to finish second in the points table.In the first phase of IPL 2026, they won just three of their first seven matches while losing four, even starting their campaign with a defeat against Punjab Kings. However, the real turnaround came after their loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Gujarat Titans never looked back, winning five matches in a row and finishing the league stage with nine wins in 14 matches.
Success of Gujarat Titans: Three key factors
Opening pair: Shubman Gill Sai SudharsenGujarat’s season is all about the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsen.Against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, the duo compiled a stunning opening stand of 167 runs while chasing 215. Gill smashed 104 off 53 balls, while Sudharsan fired 58 off just 32 deliveries.
Their partnership completely neutralized the pressure of a knockout match and effectively ended the competition before the death overs. Both batsmen have crossed the 700-run mark this season, with Shubman Gill standing second in the Orange Cap with 722 runs, while Sai Sudharsan follows closely behind with 710 runs.Last season, GT made it to the playoffs, where they lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. During that campaign, the duo scored 912 runs in 15 innings, the highest partnership tally for the 2025 season, with Sai Sudharsen finishing as the Orange Cap holder.
This year, they have already amassed 886 points in 15 rounds, and with one final game remaining, they have a chance to surpass last year’s record.Insert Jason HolderJason Holder has emerged as the transformational striker for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026, spearheading their rise to the top of the points table. After being acquired for Rs 7 crore in the IPL 2026 mega auction, he was benched during the first phase of the season. However, when GT brought him in as a replacement for Glen Phillips, he helped turn around their campaign, as the franchise won five of their next six games after his inclusion.Although his batting contributions were limited, he controlled the ball. In 10 matches so far, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54.In Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, he delivered a match-winning spell of 2/27 in four overs, controlling the middle order and maintaining excellent economy. In Qualifier 1 against RCB, he made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing both Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal at the same time.
Throughout the league stage, Holder emerged as one of the most economical bowlers in the tournament, taking 13 wickets in eight matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.34 despite favorable batting conditions.Standing at 6’7″, Holder used his height effectively to extract extra bounce, pairing seamlessly with Kagiso Rabada and Mohamed Siraj to dominate the death overs.Gujarat Titans’ lethal bowling powerWhile the opening partnership between Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsen grabbed the headlines, Gujarat’s bowlers have quietly won crucial moments throughout the season.
In a tournament where bowlers are often trashed for runs on batting-friendly pitches, GT’s bowling unit has dominated unlike any other team after a difficult start to the campaign.Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj formed the most lethal new-ball bowling partnership in IPL 2026, as they carried the Gujarat Titans straight to the grand finale. They acted as a relentless opening duo, terrorizing top-order batsmen, restricting scoring chances, and making GT the most dominant team in the tournament.Rabada led the attack with 28 wickets, including a record 18 wickets, while Siraj contributed 17 wickets and bowled with exceptional control, delivering the highest number of dot balls in the tournament. They combined to take 31 wickets and consistently dismantled the opposition top orders.Their biggest performances came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they reduced SRH to 34/4 before bowling out 86, against Chennai Super Kings, where they shared six wickets to secure an 89-run win, and in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, where early knocks reduced RR to 9/2 and set the tone for GT’s run to the final.
Their constant pressure and disciplined bowling ‘throughout the Test match’ became the foundation of Gujarat’s success throughout the season.Gujarat Titans season summaryThe first half of the season for Gujarat Titans has been disappointing, as they have managed just three wins in seven matches while suffering four defeats. GT started their campaign with back-to-back losses against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings before coming back with three straight wins over Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
They then lost their last two matches in the first half against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.The second half of the season provided the turnaround they desperately needed. GT won six of their seven matches during this phase, with their only defeat coming against Kolkata Knight Riders. They eventually finished second on the points table and qualified for Playoffs 1 against RCB.
| Match number | opposition | place | Match summary and results | a result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 4 | Kings of Punjab | Mullanpur | GT 162/6 (20) vs PBKS 165/7 (19.1) | ❌ Lost by 3 wickets |
| Match 9 | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad | RR 210/6 (20) vs GT 204/8 (20) | ❌ He lost by 6 runs |
| Match 14 | delhi capitals | Delhi | GT 210/4 (20) vs. DC 209/8 (20) | ✅ Win one round |
| Match 19 | Lucknow Super Giants | Lucknow | LSG 164/8 (20) vs GT 165/3 (18.4) | ✅ Won 7 wickets |
| Match 25 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Ahmedabad | KKR 180 (20) vs GT 181/5 (19.4) | ✅ He won five goals |
| Match 30 | Mumbai Indians | Ahmedabad | Mi 199/5 (20) vs GT 100 (15.5) | ❌ He lost by 99 points |
| Match 34 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Bengaluru | GT 205/3 (20) vs. RCB 206/5 (18.5) | ❌ Lost by 5 wickets |
| Match 37 | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai | CSK 158/7 (20) vs GT 162/2 (16.4) | ✅ Won 8 wickets |
| Match 42 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Ahmedabad | RCB 155 (19.2) vs GT 158/6 (15.5) | ✅ He won by four goals |
| Match 46 | Kings of Punjab | Ahmedabad | BPKS 163/9 (20) vs GT 167/6 (19.5) | ✅ He won by four goals |
| Match 52 | Rajasthan Royals | Jaipur | GT 229/4 (20) vs RR 152 (16.3) | ✅ He won 77 rounds |
| Match 56 | sunrise hyderabad | Ahmedabad | GT 168/5 (20) vs SRH 86 (14.5) | ✅ He won 82 rounds |
| Match 60 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kolkata | KKR 247/2 (20) vs GT 218/4 (20) | ❌ Lost by 29 runs |
| Match 66 | Chennai Super Kings | Ahmedabad | GT 229/4 (20) vs. CSK 140 (13.4) | ✅ He won 89 rounds |
Qualifying trip in GTGujarat Titans’ road to the IPL 2026 final has been marked by heartbreak and redemption.
In Qualifier 1, they suffered a heavy 54-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after conceding 254 and collapsed to 51/5 while chasing, with Sai Sudharsen’s bizarre dismissal from the wicket highlighting a forgettable outing.However, GT bounced back strongly in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj reduced RR to 9/2 early, and despite Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s brilliant 96, GT chased down 215 with eight balls to spare. Captain Shubman Gill led the charge with a brilliant 104 off 53 balls, taking Gujarat to the final and setting up a blockbuster rematch against RCB for the IPL 2026 title.
Gujarat Titans top 5 players in IPL 2026
| Rank | player | Runs | Roles/matches | Highest scores | 100 seconds | 1950s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill | 722 | 15 rounds | 104 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Sai Sudarsan | 710 | 16 rounds | 100 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Jos Butler | 507 | 16 rounds | 60 | — | 4 |
| 4 | Washington Sundar | 327 | 16 matches | 55 | — | 2 |
| 5 | Rahul Tewatia | 183 | 15 matches | 68 | — | 1 |
Gujarat Titans top 5 players in IPL 2026
| Rank | player | Wicket | Matches | economy | Best bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kagiso Rabada | 28 | 16 | 9.43 | 3/25 |
| 2 | Rashid Khan | 19 | 16 | 9.29 | 4/33 |
| 3 | Muhammad Siraj | 18 | 16 | 9.06 | 3/26 |
| 4 | Jason Holder | 17 | 10 | 7.54 | 4/24 |
| 5 | Prasidh Krishna | 16 | 11 | 10.52 | 4/28 |