Defeated by Gujarat Titans Rajasthan Royals to secure his third in Qualifier 2 IPL The final in IPL’s five-year journey. One of the most dominant teams in the league, Gujarat are now on course to win their second IPL title in 2022 after lifting their inaugural trophy. Their IPL 2026 campaign has been a rollercoaster ride. After a tough start, they dominated the second half of the season and finished second in the points table.In the first phase of IPL 2026, they won just three of their first seven matches while losing four, and even started their campaign with a defeat against Punjab Kings. However, the real change came after they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gujarat Titans never looked back, winning five matches in a row and ending the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches.
Gujarat Titans’ Success: Three Key Factors
Opening Couplet: Shabman Gul and Sai SudharsanEverything about Gujarat’s season revolves around the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.Against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, the duo put on a brilliant 167-run stand while chasing 215 runs. Their partnership completely neutralized the pressure of a knockout game and effectively ended the contest before the death overs. Both batsmen crossed the 700-run mark this season, with Shibman Gill second in the race for the Orange Cap with 722 runs, while Sai Sudharsan is second 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 put on 912 runs in 15 innings, the highest partnership of the 2025 season, with Sai Sudharsan finishing as the Orange Cap holder. This year, he has already scored 886 runs in 15 innings, and with one final match to go, he has a chance to surpass last year’s record.Jason Holder’s involvementJason Holder has emerged as a turnaround masterstroke for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026, and is driving their rise to the top of the points table. After being acquired in the IPL 2026 mega auction for Rs 7 crore, he was benched during the first phase of the season. However, when GT brought him in as a replacement for Glenn Phillips, he helped turn their campaign around, with the franchise winning five of their next six matches after he joined.Although his batting contributions have been limited, he has dominated with 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 while controlling the middle order and maintaining excellent economy. In Qualifier 1 against RCB, he scored a crucial achievement by dismissing both Virat Kohli and Dev Dutt Padikal in the same over. Throughout the league phase, Holder emerged as one of the most economical bowlers of the tournament, taking 13 wickets in eight matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.34 despite the batting conditions being favourable.Holder, who stands at 6’7, has used his height effectively to extract extra bounce, pairing seamlessly with him. Kagiso Rabada. And Mohammad Siraj will dominate the death overs.The lethal bowling powerhouse of Gujarat TitansWhile the opening partnership of Shibman Gill and Sai Sudharsan grabbed the headlines, Gujarat’s bowlers quietly won crucial moments throughout the season. In a tournament where bowlers often have to go on a rampage for runs on batting-friendly pitches, GT’s bowling unit has been dominant unlike any other side after a difficult start to the campaign.Kagiso Rabada and Mohammad Siraj formed a bowling partnership on the deadliest new ball of IPL 2026, taking Gujarat Titans straight to the grand final. Acting as a relentless opening pair, they terrorized the top-order batsmen, limited scoring opportunities, and made GT the most dominant powerplay side in the tournament.Rabada led the attack with 28 wickets, including a record 18 powerplay wickets, while Siraj took 17 wickets and bowled with exceptional control, taking the most dot balls in the tournament. Together they took 31 wickets and consistently destroyed the opposition’s top order.His biggest performances came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he reduced SRH to 34/4 before being bowled out for 86 against Chennai Super Kings, where he shared six wickets in an 89-run victory, and against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, where early strikes reduced RR to 9/2 and set the tone for the march to the GT final. His constant pressure and disciplined “Test match-length” bowling became the bedrock of Gujarat’s success throughout the season.Gujarat Titans Season SummaryGujarat Titans had a disappointing first half of the season, as they managed just three wins out of seven matches and lost four. GT started their campaign with back-to-back defeats against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, before bouncing back with three consecutive victories over Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Supergiants, and Kolkata Knight Riders. They then lost their last two matches of the first half against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.The second half of the season provided the change 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 Qualifier 1 against RCB.
| Match no | The opposition | location | Match summary and score | The result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 4 | Punjab Kings | Milanpur | 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) | ❌ Lost by 6 runs. |
| Match 14 | Delhi Capitals | Delhi | GT 210/4 (20) vs. DC 209/8 (20) | Won by 1 run. |
| Match 19 | Lucknow Supergiants | Lucknow | LSG 164/8 (20) vs GT 165/3 (18.4) | Won by 7 wickets. |
| Match 25 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Ahmedabad | KKR 180 (20) vs GT 181/5 (19.4) | Won by 5 wickets. |
| Match 30 | Mumbai Indians | Ahmedabad | MI 199/5 (20) vs GT 100 (15.5) | ❌ Lost by 99 runs. |
| 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 by 8 wickets. |
| Match 42 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Ahmedabad | RCB 155 (19.2) vs GT 158/6 (15.5) | Won by 4 wickets. |
| Match 46 | Punjab Kings | Ahmedabad | PBKS 163/9 (20) vs. GT 167/6 (19.5) | Won by 4 wickets. |
| Match 52 | Rajasthan Royals | Jaipur | GT 229/4 (20) vs RR 152 (16.3) | Won by 77 runs. |
| Match 56 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Ahmedabad | GT 168/5 (20) vs SRH 86 (14.5) | Won by 82 runs. |
| 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) | Won by 89 runs. |
GT’s playoff journeyGujarat Titans’ road to the IPL 2026 final has included both heartbreak and redemption. In Qualifier 1, they suffered a heavy 254-run defeat by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and featured a forgettable outing with Sai Sudharsan’s odd-hit wicket being dismissed after collapsing to 51/5 in the chase.However, GT made a strong comeback in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj reduced RR to 9/2 early on, and despite Vibhu Suryavanshi’s brilliant 96, GT chased down 215 with eight balls to spare. Skipper Shibman Gill led the charge with a brilliant 53-ball 104, which sent Gujarat into the final and set up a blockbuster rematch against RCB for the IPL 2026 title.
Top 5 Run Getters for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026
| Rank | the player | runs | Innings/matches | Highest score | 100s | The 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shabman Gul | 722 | 15 innings | 104 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | Sai Sudharsan | 710 | 16 innings | 100 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Jose Butler | 507 | 16 innings | 60 | – | 4 |
| 4 | Washington Sundar | 327 | 16 matches | 55 | – | 2 |
| 5 | Rahul Tyotia | 183 | 15 matches | 68 | – | 1 |
Top 5 wicket takers for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026
| Rank | the player | Wickets | Matches | The economy | Excellent 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 | Prasad Krishna | 16 | 11 | 10.52 | 4/28 |
