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Former CSK icon Suresh Raina reserved high praise for the Gujarat Titans’ opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, labelling them among the best batting pairs in IPL history.
The duo came together at GT in 2022 for the first time and have become the most consistent partnership of the league since then. Sudharsan mostly batted at No. 3 in the first two years, but in 2024, he moved up a spot and started opening with Gill.
“Finest batting pair in IPL history” – Suresh Raina
Speaking on JioHotstar, Raina put the Gill-Sai duo in the upper echelons of partnerships in IPL history. He compared the two to legendary partnership duos like Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle and Kohli with AB de Villiers.
“Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the finest batting pair in the history of IPL. In 46 innings together, they have put up 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more. The next best pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli in third place,” Raina said.
Raina went on to cite a number of statistics to stake his claim. “This shows the quality of Gill and Sai. They complement each other’s games very well. What stands out is that they have reached 21 fifty-plus stands in just 46 innings – the fastest in IPL history. Gayle and Kohli took 59 innings to get there, while ABD and Kohli needed 76 innings,” Raina added.
“Their consistency as an opening pair is amazing” – Raina
Suresh Raina went on to say that the Gujarat Titans captain and his opening partner had excellent game awareness of each other, which helped them be consistent.
“The consistency of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as an opening pair is remarkable. They take time to build their innings, keep dot balls to a minimum, and complement each other’s game perfectly. They pick the right bowlers to target. One uses the pace of the bowler, while the other uses the angle to create room for his shots.”
“Both are extremely fit, and their game awareness stands out. They know which shots to play and when to attack. The biggest strength is how consistently they score runs. No other batting pair in the IPL this season has matched their level of consistency,” Raina concluded.
Gujarat Titans’ next match
The Gujarat Titans and their opening duo of skipper Shubman Gill and southpaw Sai Sudharsan will next be in action on Tuesday.
On May 26, GT will take on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. RCB finished first on the IPL 2026 points table while the Gujarat Titans finished second.
Both teams had 9 wins from 14 matches, but were separated on the points table by net run rate.
In the league stage, the two teams split honours 1-1. RCB thrived in their home at Bengaluru as Virat Kohli’s 81 trumped Sai Sudharsan’s century, while in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Titans pulled level with a spirited bowling performance led by Jason Holder.
The winner of Qualifier 1 will gain a direct entry to the IPL final in Ahmedabad on May 31, while the loser will gain another chance at making the final by winning Qualifier 2 at Mullanpur on May 29.
Also Read: SRH backed to come out on top against RR in IPL 2026 Eliminator by Ambati Rayudu
