GT skipper Shubman Gill heads into the IPL 2026 final against RCB after another outstanding season. The opener raised his scoring rate in the latter half of the tournament, highlighted by a century and several crucial knocks. With a strong record in previous IPL finals, Gill will look to lead GT to the title on cricket’s biggest domestic stage.
The Gujarat Titans will aim for their second IPL triumph when they take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the high-stakes 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.
Gujarat outfit will play their second final and the first since their memorable debut campaign in 2022, where they secured their maiden IPL triumph under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. The GT qualified for the final after defeating the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Qualifier 2. The Shubman Gill-led side got a second chance to secure their final berth after losing to RCB in Qualifier 1.
Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to face off for the fourth time in the IPL 2026, having previously encountered each other twice in the league stage and once in Qualifier 1.
Also Read: IPL: All eyes on Jos Buttler as Gujarat Titans face RCB challenge
Shubman Gill’s Consistency Takes Centre Stage in High-Stakes Final
Shubman Gill has led the Gujarat Titans to the final for the first time as a captain after previously serving as a key pillar in their 2022 championship run. Gill’s leadership and batting prowess have been quite instrumental in the Titans’ 2026 campaign.
Despite captaincy pressure, the 26-year-old has thrived, balancing the burden of leadership with his role as the team’s primary batting architect, alongside his opening partner Sai Sudharsan and the English explosive batter Jos Buttler, culminating in a spectacular century in Qualifier 2 that paved the way for this title clash.
In the first half of the season, Gill registered the scores 39, 70, 56, 86, 14, 32, and 33, aggregating 330 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 47.14 and a strike rate of 157.14. However, in the next 8 outings, including Qualifier 1 and 2, the GT captain scored 43, 5, 84, 5, 85, 64, 2, and 104, aggregating 392 runs at an average of 49.00 and a blistering strike rate of 170.43.
Scroll to load tweet…
Comparing the two halves of his IPL 2026 campaign, Shubman Gill has surged in both productivity and aggression. In the second half, the Gujarat Titans captain elevated his strike rate to a blistering 170.43, effectively transitioning from a foundational anchor to a high-impact match-winner who thrives under the pressure of the tournament’s most critical knockout stages.
With 722 runs in 15 matches, Gill enters the high-stakes final in the form of his life, carrying the immense responsibility of leading his side to a second IPL triumph while aiming to outshine a formidable Royal Challengers Bengaluru bowling attack.
How did Shubman Gill Perform in the IPL Finals?
Shubman Gill plays the fourth final of his IPL career, having previously featured in the 2021 final for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and the 2022 and 2023 finals for the Gujarat Titans.
After moving to the Gujarat Titans, Gill played a pivotal role in consecutive IPL finals, with his composed performance anchoring the chase to secure their maiden title in 2022, followed by a characteristically brisk start in 2023, further cementing his reputation as a big-match player who consistently delivers when the trophy is on the line.
In his previous three IPL finals, Shubman Gill has consistently contributed to his team’s batting efforts:
- 2021: Gill scored 51 off 43 balls for KKR against the Chennai Super Kings. Despite his solid anchoring effort at the top, his side still fell short of the target.
- 2022: He played an unbeaten innings of 45 off 43 balls to help GT chase down a 131-run target against the Rajasthan Royals and clinch their maiden IPL triumph in their debut season.
- 2023: Shubman Gill played a quickfire knock at the top, scoring 39 off 20 balls, in a contest that ultimately saw his team finish as runners-up to the Chennai Super Kings.
Across three IPL finals, Shubman Gill has aggregated 135 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 67.5 and a strike rate of 127.35. In his fourth IPL final, Gill will look to leverage his current explosive form to lead the GTs to their second title, aiming to replicate his match-winning heroics from Qualifier 2 on the grandest stage of the 2026 season.
Also Read: IPL 2026 Final: RCB vs GT, Who’s Winning Tonight? Even ChatGPT and Gemini Agree on One Team!