Sai Sudharsan made an unwelcome and strange piece of IPL history by becoming the first batsman to be dismissed on a hit wicket in back-to-back matches. The Gujarat Titans opener suffered two almost identical dismissals during the IPL 2026 playoffs, first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Qualifier 1 and then against them. Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2.In Qualifier 1 against RCB, GT was chasing a record 255-run target when Siddharsen’s bat slipped from his hands while attempting a run and hit the stumps, leaving him out for 14 runs.Just three days later, history repeated itself in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. Chasing 215 in Milanpur, Sidharson was in brilliant touch, getting out for 58 off just 32 balls. However, after hitting off-spinner Brijesh Sharma for a boundary, his bat once again slipped from his hands during the follow-through and hit the stumps, resulting in another rare hit.Despite the odd setback, Gujarat Titans cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket victory and booked their place in the IPL 2026 final. Speaking after the match, Sudharsan took the unusual turn of events in good spirits and joked that he might need to work on his grip technique before the summit clash in Ahmedabad.“I think I should try a few things. I’m going to try some grip techniques now and just bat a few balls and see how it goes. Seriously. In the last match, he just bounced a few times and hit the stumps. But this game, I just wanted it to hit straight, I think,” Sudarsan said during the post-match presentation.Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Milanpur to book their place in the final of IPL 2026. RR posted 214/6, powered by a brilliant 47-ball 96 from Vibhu Suryavanshi and a late cameo from Donovan Ferreira.In response, GT Capt Shabman Gul Led from the front with a brilliant 104 off 53 balls, while Sai Sudharsan scored 58 off 32. Their strong opening partnership kept GT firmly in control as they chased down the target in just 18.4 overs, finishing at 219/3.
