Gujarat Titans’ leader Shubman Gill stood tall when it mattered, steering his side into the IPL 2026 final following a convincing seven-wicket triumph against Rajasthan Royals on May 29. His innings? A smooth yet powerful 104 off just 53 deliveries – calm precision wrapped in aggression. Chasing 215 under lights in Mullanpur, every boundary he struck tightened the grip. The stadium hummed, but he stayed still inside. Result: mission completed before the last overs even began.
First up, Gill reaches triple figures with 104, making history as the inaugural skipper to hit a century in an IPL playoff match. Before this, the loftiest tally in knockout stages sat at 93 not out, shared by David Warner and Rajat Patidar. Warner posted his effort versus Gujarat Lions back in 2016. That mark stayed untouched until Patidar matched it during IPL 2026’s Qualifier 1 clash with GT.
Highest score by a captain in IPL playoffs:
Shubman Gill Scores 104 Against RR In IPL 2026 Qualifier Two
Rajat Patidar 93 Against GT IPL 2026 Qualifier One
David Warner scores 93 against Gujarat Lions in 2016 IPL qualifier
Shreyas Iyer scores 87 against MI in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2
Adam Gilchrist 85 runs against Delhi Daredevils IPL 2009 semifinal
One skipper ever reached triple figures in a T20 knockout match?
One thing stands out about Gill – he’s the sole captain to score a century in an IPL playoff match. Yet that milestone isn’t rare across T20 history. Beyond him, ten others wearing the armband reached three figures too. Moeen Ali leads them, smashing 121 not out when Worcestershire met Sussex in a Vitality Blast semifinal clash.
JJ Smuts reached 121 playing for Warriors versus Lions during the CSA T20 Challenge 2019 final. Rajat Bhatia hit 107 representing Delhi in the SMAT 2012 quarterfinal when they met Railways. When Hampshire faced Worcestershire in a NatWest T20 Blast quarterfinal, James Vince made 107. Upul Tharanga scored 104 while turning out for Colombo in the SLC T20 League 2018 final clash with Dambulla. Temba Bavuma posted 104 batting for Lions in their match-up against Warriors at the 2019 CSA T20 Challenge final. Peshawar Zalmi had Babar Azam on board who managed 103 during a PSL 2026 qualifier game opposite Islamabad United. Ishan Kishan put together 101 runs for Jharkhand in the SMAT 2025 final when up against Haryana. Aiden Markram brought up exactly 100 while playing for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 2023 semifinal versus Joburg Super Kings. Muhammad Waseem struck 100 opening the innings for UAE in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2024 title match against Oman.
Gill leads Gujarat to third IPL final
Out of nowhere, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cracked 96 under pressure. Then came Donovan Ferreira, turning heads with 38 off just 11 deliveries. Chasing big numbers isn’t new for GT, yet nothing beyond 204 has ever worked in their favor during IPL campaigns. That exact total – 204 – once got pulled off by Punjab Kings, back in the 2025 playoff clash. Tall targets like these rarely end well when history weighs so heavily.
Three times champions already, GT reach their third final just five years in. Their first try brought glory back in 2022. The next year, though, ended close but empty against Chennai Super Kings. This time around, the stage resets – Bangalore stands across them once more, chasing silverware again
