Gujarat Titans booked their place in the IPL 2026 final after a commanding victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. However, much of the post-match discussion revolved around another memorable outing from teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The 15-year-old opener once again delivered under pressure, producing a stunning 96-run knock that kept Rajasthan alive despite wickets tumbling regularly at the other end. His innings carried the Royals through difficult phases before Gujarat eventually took control of the contest during the chase.
Notably, soon after Sooryavanshiโs dismissal, cameras captured an animated exchange between the youngster and Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag inside the dugout. The visuals spread rapidly across social media platforms, with several fans speculating over the nature of the conversation. Many believed Parag appeared to be speaking sternly to the batter moments after he narrowly missed out on a century yet again.
It marked another painful near-miss for Sooryavanshi, who has now fallen short of a hundred three times in his last four IPL innings. Just two days earlier against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, he had been dismissed for 97 after dismantling the bowling attack in one of the standout knocks of the tournament.
Against Gujarat, Rajasthan suffered early setbacks after losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel cheaply. Sooryavanshi initially counterattacked to steady the innings before accelerating again in the middle overs. His innings eventually ended on 96 from 47 deliveries when Kagiso Rabada removed him with a short ball.
Rajasthan still managed to cross the 200-run mark thanks to Donovan Ferreiraโs unbeaten late cameo, setting Gujarat a target of 215 in a high-pressure knockout fixture.
Shubman Gill led Gujaratโs chase
The Titans, however, responded with complete authority. Shubman Gill led the chase with a magnificent century, producing one of his finest innings of the season under playoff pressure. Sai Sudharsan once again played a key supporting role as the pair dismantled Rajasthanโs bowling attack with a massive partnership that tilted the game decisively in Gujaratโs favour.
Gillโs hundred guided Gujarat to a comfortable seven-wicket victory and secured their spot in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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