GT’s journey to IPL 2026 final: Shubman Gill’s leadership, Jason Holder’s impact and hard length bowling

Gujarat Titans (Image: X) Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 to clinch their third IPL final in five years of their IPL journey. One of the most dominant teams in the league, Gujarat are now on the verge of winning their second IPL title after lifting their inaugural trophy in 2022. Their IPL 2026 campaign has been a roller coaster ride. After a difficult start, they dominated the second half of the season and finished second in the points table.In the first phase of IPL 2026, they won only three of their first seven matches while losing four and even started their campaign with a defeat against Punjab Kings. However, the real turnaround came after their loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gujarat Titans never looked back, winning five matches in a row to finish the league stage with nine wins from 14 matches.

Gujarat Titans’ Success: Three Major Factors

Opening couple: Shubman Gill and Sai SudharsanEverything about Gujarat’s season revolved around the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.Against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, the duo combined for a staggering 167 runs while chasing 215. Gill smashed 104 off 53 balls while Sudharsan blasted 58 off just 32 deliveries. Their partnership completely neutralized the pressure of the knockout game and effectively ended the match at the death. Both batsmen have crossed the 700-run mark this season, with Shubman Gill finishing second in the Orange Cap race with 722 runs, while Sai Sudharsan follows closely behind with 710 runs.Last season, GT made it to the playoffs where they lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. During that campaign, the duo scored 912 runs in 15 innings, the highest partnership of the 2025 season, with Sai Sudharsan ending up as the Orange Cap holder. This year, they have already scored 886 runs in 15 innings and with one final game to go, they have a chance to break last year’s record.Incorporating Jason HolderJason Holder has proved to be a transformative masterstroke for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026, spearheading their rise to the top of the points table. After being acquired for Rs 7 crore in the IPL 2026 mega auction, he was benched during the first phase of the season. However, when GT brought him in as a replacement for Glenn Phillips, he helped turn their campaign around and the franchise won five of their next six games following his inclusion.While his contributions with the bat were limited, he dominated with the ball. In 10 matches so far, he has taken 15 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54.In Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, he produced a match-winning spell of 2/27 in four overs, dominating the middle order and maintaining excellent economy. In Qualifier 1 against RCB, he got a major breakthrough when he dismissed Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal in the same match. During the league phase, Holder emerged as one of the most economical bowlers of the tournament, taking 13 wickets in eight matches at an impressive economy rate of 7.34 despite batting-friendly conditions.At 6’7″, Holder used his height effectively to extract extra bounce, combining seamlessly with Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj to dominate the death overs.A lethal bowling powerhouse Gujarat TitansWhile the opening partnership of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan grabbed the headlines, Gujarat’s bowlers quietly won the crucial moments of the entire season. In a tournament where bowlers were often smashed on batting-friendly pitches, GT’s bowling unit dominated unlike any other side after a rough start to the campaign.Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj formed the deadliest new bowling partnership of IPL 2026 to take Gujarat Titans straight to the grand final. They acted as a relentless opening duo, terrorizing the top-order batsmen, limiting scoring opportunities and making GT the most dominant powerhouse in the tournament.Rabada led the charge with 28 wickets, including a record 18 overs, while Siraj contributed 17 wickets and bowled with exceptional control to deliver the most runs in the tournament. They combined for 31 wickets and consistently dismantled the opposition’s top order.Their biggest performances came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where they reduced SRH to 34/4 before bowling them out for 86, against Chennai Super Kings, where they shared six wickets to secure an 89-run win, and in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, where early strikes reduced RR to 9/2 and set the tone for the GT final. Their unrelenting pressure and disciplined ‘Test match-length’ bowling became the bedrock of Gujarat’s success throughout the season.Gujarat Titans Season SummaryThe first half of the season was a disappointment for Gujarat Titans as they managed just three wins in seven matches and suffered four defeats. GT started their campaign with back-to-back losses against Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings before bouncing back with three consecutive wins over Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders. They then lost the last two matches of the first half against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.The second half of the season brought the turnaround they desperately needed. GT have won six of their seven matches in this phase, with their only defeat coming against Kolkata Knight Riders. They ended up finishing second in the points table and qualified for Qualifier 1 against RCB.Match No.OppositionMatch Venue Summary and ScoreResultMatch 4Punjab KingsMullanpurGT 162/6 (20) vs PBKS 165/7 (19.1)❌ Lost by 3 wicketsMatch 9Rajasthan RoyalsAhmedabad/682RR (21) (20)❌ Lost by 6 runsMatch 14Delhi CapitalsDelhiGT 210/4 (20) vs DC 209/8 (20) ✅ Win by 1 run Match 19Lucknow Super GiantsLucknowLSG 164/8 (20) vs GT178.Mawickets bytch (20) vs GT178,45/3 WCHwick 25Kolkata Knight RidersAhmedabadKKR 180 (20) vs. GT 181/5 (19.4) ✅ Win by 5 wickets Match 30Mumbai IndiansAhmedabadMI 199/5 (20) Vs. GT 100 (15.5) ✅Lost 99 Lost BengaluruBengaluruGT 205/3 (20) vs RCB 206/5 (18.5)❌ Lost by 5 wickets Match 37 Chennai Super KingsChennaiCSK 158/7 (20) vs GT 162/2 (16.4)❌ 2 wickets Won BengaluruAhmedabadRCB 155 (19.2) vs GT 158/6 (15.5) ✅ Won by 4 wickets Match 46Punjab KingsAhmedabadPBKS 163/9 (20) vs GT 167/6 (19.5) ✅ 4RwicketsMatch won RoyalsJaipurGT 229/4 (20) vs RR 152 (16.3) ✅ Won by 77 runs Match 56Sunrisers HyderabadAhmedabadGT 168/5 (20) vs SRH 86 (14.5)​​​​​​​​​​​​GT’s Playoff JourneyGujarat Titans’ journey to the IPL 2026 final has contained both heartbreak and redemption. In Qualifier 1, they suffered a heavy 54-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after conceding 254 runs and collapsing to 51/5 in the chase, with Sai Sudharsan’s bizarre wicket dismissal highlighting a memorable outing.However, GT bounced back strongly in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals. Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj reduced RR to 9/2 early and despite Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s superb 96, GT were chasing 215 with eight balls to spare. Captain Shubman Gill led the charge with a magnificent 104 off 53 balls to take Gujarat to the final and set up a rematch against RCB for the IPL 2026 title.

Top 5 Run Getters for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026

RankingPlayerRunsInnings/MatchesHighest Score100s50s1Shubman Gill72215 innings104162Sai Sudharsan71016 innings100183Jos Buttler50716 innings60—44Washington Sundar32716 matches6—855

Top 5 wicket getters for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026

RankingPlayerWicketsMatchesEconomyBest Bowling1Kagiso Rabada28169.433/252Rashid Khan19169.294/333Mohammed Siraj18169.063/264Jason Holder17107.544/242816151 Krisidh