A light-hearted exchange between Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill caught the eye during the IPL clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans on Friday, offering a brief but entertaining break in an otherwise intense contest.
The two Indian stars, who are often considered to represent different generations of top batsmen, were spotted laughing on the sidelines. Kohli is widely regarded as the benchmark of modern batting, while Gill is seen as the natural successor to that legacy.
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That moment came in the middle of Gill’s unusual outing with the bat. The Gujarat Titans captain, who opened alongside Sai Sudharsan, found himself at the non-striker’s end for most of the over. Sudharsan dominated the strike early on and dictated terms against the RCB bowling attack while Gill played a supporting role.
Sudharsan shines with a rolling century
If Gill’s innings was subdued, Sudharsan’s was anything but. The left-hander produced an impressive 58-ball 100, his third IPL century to anchor Gujarat Titans to a strong total of 205 for three.
In a stroke built on timing and placement, Sudharsan hit 11 boundaries and five sixes on a surface that was not the easiest to produce strokes. His innings also made him one of the fastest players to reach 2000 IPL runs, underscoring his rising status in the league.
The opening stand between Sudharsan and Gill yielded 128 runs, although most of the scoring came from the former. Sudharsan faced 29 deliveries in the PowerPlay compared to Gill’s seven, which highlighted the imbalance in the strike early on.
Gill contributed 32 off 24 balls before his dismissal, but by then Sudharsan had laid a solid foundation for a big total.
Late push will exceed GT 200
After Sudharsan reached his century, Gujarat Titans looked set for an even bigger finish. However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru managed to pull things back with ease in the dying overs.
The key contribution came from debutant Jason Holder, who made the late push with an unbeaten 23 off just 10 balls. His cameo, which featured two sixes and a boundary, saw GT cross the 200-run mark.
Despite a relatively quiet closing phase with just 31 runs in the last four overs, Gujarat Titans posted a competitive total on a slightly slow pitch.
While the contest remained tense, a brief exchange between Kohli and Gill added a touch of magic and highlighted the camaraderie that continues to define the game.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
24 Apr 2026 10:28 IST
