Gujarat Titans eye second IPL crown after roller-coaster ride to the final
But the road to the 2026 final was a rollercoaster. The Titans had a slow start to their campaign, losing to Punjab Kings on the opening day and recording just three wins from their first seven matches.
The decisive turning point came after a tough loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. With their backs against the wall, Gujarat turned their season around completely and won five in a row to finish the league phase with nine wins from 14 matches. This spectacular surge in the second half secured them second place in the points table and gave them excellent momentum to attack towards the grand final.
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Three pillars of Gujarat Titans’ success
Hot opening duo
The backbone of Gujarat’s batting was undoubtedly Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. They put on a masterclass in Qualifier 2, putting together a remarkable opening stand of 167 runs as they chased a daunting target of 215. While Gill smashed a magnificent 104 off 53 balls, Sudharsan ended the chase before the death over by blasting a quick 58 off 32 deliveries.
Both the batsmen have crossed the 700-run milestone this season. Gill is second in the Orange Cap race with 722 runs, followed by Sudharsan with 710 runs. After an incredible 2025 season in which they accumulated 912 partnership runs, the duo are on the verge of breaking their own record in the final this year, having already amassed 886 runs in 15 innings.
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Masterpiece of Jason Holder
Jason Holder, who was bought for ₹7 crore in the mega auction, did not participate in the first phase of the season. However, his replacement by Glenn Phillips turned the tournament around completely as Gujarat won five of the next six matches.
The 6’7″ West Indian has used his height to provide extra bounce and has proven to be an invaluable asset alongside the front-line pacers. Over 10 matches, Holder has picked up 15 wickets at a hugely impressive economy rate of 7.54. Clutch performances include a crucial double wicket against RCB in No. 1, followed by a match-winning spell of 2/27 to throttle the Rajasthan middle order in No. 2.
A lethal powerplay bowling attack
While the opening matches grabbed the headlines, GT’s bowling unit quietly dismantled their opponents on batting-friendly tracks. Led by Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, Gujarat boasted the scariest new-ball pairing of IPL 2026.
Rabada led the tournament with 28 wickets, including a record-breaking 18 scalps in the powerplay alone.
Siraj took 17 wickets while bowling the highest number of dot balls in the tournament.
Disciplined Test match lengths regularly disrupted opponents’ top order. Highlights include shutting out SRH for just 86 runs, crushing CSK by 89 runs and making a nightmare start in Qualifier 2 by reducing Rajasthan Royals to 9/2.
A rollercoaster playoff ride
Gujarat Titans’ road to the IPL 2026 final has been marked by extreme ups and downs, showcasing a team that refuses to back down when it matters most. After an impressive league comeback, the play-off series tested their character to the absolute limit.
In the first half GT had a disappointing start to the season, managing just three wins from seven matches. Back-to-back opening losses against RR and PBKS left them reeling, but back-to-back victories against DC, LSG and KKR provided a brief respite before closing the stage with further defeats.
The turnaround in the second half was remarkable. GT made a change and won six of the next seven matches, with their only blemish being against KKR. This spectacular recovery guaranteed them a proud second place in the points table.
Armed with a top order, a lethal bowling attack and the tactical mastery of Jason Holder, the Titans are perfectly poised for redemption. With the cup just around the corner, Gujarat have one final hurdle to overcome to secure their second IPL title and etch their name in history permanently.
(With inputs from agencies and TOI)
