Sai Sudharsan (Pic credit: IPL) NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan continues his meteoric rise in the IPL and rewrites the record books once again – this time surpassing Chris Gayle for the most runs after 50 matches in the tournament’s history.The 24-year-old reached the milestone during GT’s last win over Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, scoring a composed 57 off 41 balls. In the process, Sudharsan scored 2178 runs in his first 50 IPL innings, surpassing Gayle’s long-standing record of 2061 runs. The record stood for 13 years and came from when Sudharsan was just 11 years old.Mitchell Marsh is third on the elite list with 1,933 runs after 50 innings, underscoring the magnitude of Sudharsan’s achievement in a league known for its tough competition.Fastest to 2000 — Gayle’s other record fell earlierThis is not the first time Sudharsan has dethroned Gayle this season. Only recently, the elegant left-hander became the fastest batsman in IPL history to reach 2,000 runs, reaching the milestone in just 47 innings – one less than Gayle’s 48. Marsh is just behind him having bowled 52 innings.Sudharsan’s record-breaking spree began earlier in the season when he smashed a stunning 100 off 58 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, underlining both his consistency and ability to dominate attacks in a variety of conditions.Despite a slow start to IPL 2026 – with just one fifty in his first six appearances – Sudharsan bounced back strongly, scoring three fifty-plus scores in his last four innings, including a match-defining century.His overall numbers are remarkable: 2178 runs in 50 innings at an average of 47.34 and a strike rate of 148, all for Gujarat Titans since his debut in 2022.While Sudharsan anchored the chase against Punjab Kings, the GT bowlers laid the foundation. Jason Holder played with four wickets while Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada chipped in with two each.Rescued by a struggling half-century from Suryansh Shedge, Punjab Kings posted 163/9 — but Gujarat Titans chased him down on the penultimate ball to seal a thrilling victory, with Sudharsan once again at the heart of history.
