Gill ton takes Gujarat Titans into IPL 2026 final

Mohali gave us the kind of IPL night that makes sleep feel optional.

Shubman Gill stood in the middle, calm as ever, while the chase kept shrinking. Gujarat needed 215. That is usually a mountain. On Friday night, it became a well-planned evening walk.

Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2. Gujarat made 219 for 3 in 18.4 overs, after Rajasthan had posted 214 for 6. The win sends Gujarat into their third IPL final.

Gill carries Gujarat home

Gill’s century was the centre of the chase. Gujarat did not panic, even with a final place on the line. They treated 215 like a target that needed control, not chaos.

That is Gill’s best cricket in one sentence. He rarely looks hurried. He does not turn every chase into theatre. He just keeps taking the game away, one clean stroke at a time.

Gujarat reached 219 for 3 with 8 balls left. That matters. A chase of 215 in a playoff usually tightens throats. Here, Gujarat finished with room to breathe.

For fans in Ahmedabad, this result lands with extra weight. The final comes home on Sunday, May 31, at 7.30 pm. Gujarat will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the title.

Vaibhav’s 96 was not enough

Rajasthan will look at one innings with pride and pain. Vaibhav Suryavanshi made 96, and still ended on the losing side.

That is the brutal beauty of T20 cricket. A teenager can light up a playoff, hit like a senior pro, and still watch the match slip away.

Vaibhav has become one of this season’s biggest stories. He has hit 65 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old mark for most sixes in an IPL season.

He also crossed 600 runs this season, becoming the youngest batter to do so in one IPL campaign. Those are not small numbers. They are career-shaping numbers.

But Rajasthan’s 214 for 6 was not enough on this surface. In older IPL seasons, 214 in a knockout often meant control. In IPL 2026, it only meant the other team had to bat well.

A season built for batters

This IPL has belonged to the bat. The season has already seen more than 1,300 sixes. Teams have crossed 200 as many as 61 times.

Even more striking, 200-plus totals have been chased 16 times. That tells you how much the game has tilted.

Bowlers now defend with almost no cushion. A good over can vanish after 2 bad balls. Captains keep changing fields, but batters keep finding gaps.

Indian batters have also pushed the pace this season. Their strike rates have matched, and often beaten, many overseas names. That matters for Indian cricket beyond the IPL.

Still, foreign bowlers have held a clear edge in impact. The better overseas pacers and mystery spinners have often done the hard overs. They have bowled at the death, or dragged teams back after powerplay damage.

This is where selection rooms start paying attention. The IPL is not just a league now. It is a large public audition. Every strong season changes someone’s price, reputation, and national-team case.

Bengaluru wait with belief

Bengaluru enter the final after a far more dominant playoff win. They beat Gujarat by 92 runs in Qualifier 1.

Rajat Patidar led that charge with an unbeaten 93. Jacob Duffy took 3 wickets. Bengaluru looked sharp, settled, and hungry.

That sets up a delicious final. Gujarat have momentum from a chase. Bengaluru have the confidence of a one-sided win over the same opponent.

For Gujarat, Gill’s form changes the dressing room mood. A captain or lead batter in rhythm gives everyone else a little more time. Young players breathe easier when the main man looks sorted.

For Bengaluru, the story carries emotional baggage. Their fans know hope too well. They also know heartbreak too well. Another final means another night of nervous scrolling, family watch parties, and whispered prayers before the toss.

The venue adds spice. Ahmedabad will not be neutral in feeling. Gujarat will hear it, and Bengaluru will know it.

The final’s small margins

Finals rarely follow neat logic. One dropped catch can undo 2 months of good cricket. One 16-run over can change a dressing room.

Gujarat will want a cleaner bowling plan than the one that allowed Rajasthan 214. They cannot bank on chasing 215 every night.

Bengaluru will want early wickets. Gill at the crease for 15 overs is not a cricket plan. It is a problem.

Vaibhav’s season also leaves Rajasthan with a strange comfort. They are out, yes. But they have found a batter who can shape future campaigns.

That is how IPL teams measure pain now. You lose the night, but you still search for the asset. Rajasthan lost the qualifier, but Vaibhav made sure nobody forgets them quickly.

For ordinary fans, Sunday is simple. Order dinner early, clear the living room, charge the phone, and expect noise. Gujarat have the home final. Bengaluru have another shot at the cup. And after a season where 200 became normal, nobody should relax until the last ball lands.