Sai Sudharsan-Shubman Gill continue record-breaking run in IPL 2025, help GT reach playoffs

New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): The Gujarat Titans (GT) opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan tore down several batting records as they went on a rampage against Delhi Capitals (DC), sealing a memorable 10-wicket win at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Shubman and Sudharsan continued their monstrous run in the IPL 2025 as another massive partnership helped them get a 'Q' in front of their team's name and take a gigantic step in ensuring a top-two finish.
The duo were given a target of 200 runs to chase, which they chased down with an over left, with Sudharsan scoring 108* in 61 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes, striking at over 177 and Gill smashing a dazzling 93* in 53 balls, with three fours and seven sixes, at a strike rate of over 175.
The duo has accumulated 839 runs as a batting pair this season, the highest ever by an Indian pair in a single IPL season. They outdo the 744 runs accumulated by Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw for Delhi Capitals (DC) in their 2021 season.
Also, this 205-run stand is the second-highest opening partnership in IPL history. At the top is KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock (210* against Kolkata Knight Riders for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022) and Shubman-Sai (210 against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024 season for GT).
With seven 100-plus runs partnerships, they are just behind the heavyweight Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting duos of Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle (nine partnerships) and Virat-AB de Villiers (10 partnerships) in IPL history.
The duo have stitched seven fifty-plus run stands this season, the joint-second-highest by a pair in a single season. Notably, RCB's Virat and Faf Du Plessis stitched eight fifty-run-plus stands in the 2023 season, the most by a pair in a single season.
Besides the Pakistani pair of Mohammed Rizwan and Babar Azam, they are the second opening pair ever to chase a 200-plus total in T20s by themselves, as per Wisden.
As per Cricviz, only three times has it happened that an opening pair has made 200 runs in a game, with Shubman and Sai doing it twice. They are also the first-ever pair in T20s to score 200 runs or more twice.
Sudharsan leads the Orange Cap race with 617 runs in 12 innings at an average of 56.09, a strike rate of 156.99. He has made a century and five fifties, with the best score of 108*. Gill is in second place, with 601 runs in 12 innings at an average of 60.10, strike rate of 155.69, with six fifties and best score of 93*.
Coming to the match, GT won the toss and opted to field first.
After DC lost Faf Du Plessis early, a 90-run stand between KL Rahul and Abishek Porel (30 in 19 balls, with a four and three sixes) and cameos from skipper Axar Patel (25 in 16 balls, with two fours and a six) and Tristan Stubbs (21* in 10 balls, with two sixes) helped DC reach 199/3.
Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshad Khan each got a wicket.
However, DC's bowling struggled against ultra-consistent Shubman Gill (93* in 53 balls, with three fours and seven sixes) and Sai Sudharsan (108* in just 61 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes).
They put on a dominant 205 run partnership, helping GT win with an over left. Sai was given the 'Player of the Match' award.
With this win, GT have made it to the playoffs, with nine wins and three losses, giving them 18 points. DC is in the fifth spot, with six wins and five losses. One of their matches ended in a no result. They have 13 points. (ANI)