Sai Sudharsan scripts history, joins Virat Kohli & Chris Gayle in elite IPL club

NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan continued his imagination IPL tally connected Friday, entering an elite nine alongside Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle during different superb sound successful Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals successful Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.The stylish left-hander scored 58 disconnected conscionable 32 balls and successful the process completed his ninth 50-plus people of IPL 2026 — associated second-highest successful a azygous play successful tourney history.

More significantly, Sudharsan crossed the 700-run people for the 2nd consecutive IPL season, becoming lone the 3rd batter ever aft Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle to grounds aggregate 700-plus campaigns successful the tournament.The singular feat further cemented Sudharsan’s emergence arsenic 1 of the astir accordant and ascendant batters successful T20 cricket.

Sudharsan joins Kohli and Gayle successful elite company

Sudharsan had already enjoyed a breakthrough play successful 2025, but the 2026 variation has elevated him to different level altogether.With 2 consecutive seasons of 700-plus runs, helium joined an exclusive database featuring lone IPL greats Kohli and Gayle. Gayle had achieved the feat successful 2012 and 2013, portion Kohli managed it successful 2016 and again successful 2024.700-plus runs successful 2 antithetic IPL editions

The GT opener besides equalled David Warner’s tally of 9 50-plus scores successful an IPL season.

Only Kohli, with 11 specified scores during his legendary 2016 campaign, remains up of him.Ironically, Sudharsan’s innings ended successful bizarre manner erstwhile again arsenic helium was dismissed deed wicket for the 2nd consecutive match.Attempting to portion a debased afloat flip down square, Sudharsan mislaid power of his bat, which crashed into the stumps aft the changeable raced distant for four. The antithetic dismissal near some the assemblage and his batting spouse Shubman Gill stunned.Most 50-plus scores in an IPL edition

Gill-Sudharsan concern rewrites T20 history

Before Sudharsan’s dismissal, helium and Gill had already dismantled aggregate records with different monumental opening stand.The duo stitched unneurotic their 11th period concern successful T20 cricket — the astir by immoderate brace successful the format’s history. They surpassed legendary combinations specified arsenic Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli, Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan and AB de Villiers-Virat Kohli.Gill and Sudharsan reached the milestone successful conscionable 48 innings, importantly faster than immoderate different brace connected the list.The concern itself was historical successful IPL playoff past arsenic well. Their 167-run basal became the highest concern ever recorded successful IPL playoffs, surpassing the erstwhile grounds held by Chennai Super Kings brace Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay from the 2011 final.Highest partnerships successful IPL playoffs (any wicket)

The GT openers present besides stock 8 period stands for the opening wicket successful T20 cricket, equalling the grounds held by Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.While Gujarat Titans proceed their propulsion for different IPL last appearance, Sudharsan and Gill person emerged arsenic the heartbeat of the broadside this season.