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Gill 104 trumps Sooryavanshi 96 as Gujarat Titans enter IPL final
The greatest batting season by anyone in a T20 tournament became even greater with 96 against the best bowling attack of the tournament on a not-so-straightforward pitch, but a near-solo effort from Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi couldn’t drag Rajasthan Royals (RR) into the IPL 2026 final. Gujarat Titans (GT) executed the second-highest successful chase in any knockout or playoff match in all T20 cricket, setting up a repeat of Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final. This time, however, GT will be playing at their home ground in Ahmedabad.
Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 ended on 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3 with this innings that was just as good as his 97 in the Eliminator albeit slower. He had to overcome an initially two-paced pitch, a weak RR middle order that turned chaotic with an injury to the new No. 4 Ravindra Jadeja, and a bowling attack that could exploit the conditions. From his slowest fifty – still only 31 balls – Sooryavanshi got to 96 off 47 but was caught at deep third with a century in sight for the second time in a row.
Sooryavanshi’s shots once again left jaws on the floor, but Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudarsan almost cruised through the chase right from the moment Jofra Archer got off to an indifferent start in the first over. Both of them followed Sooryavanshi into the 700s for this season but in their own style of taking fewer risks. The difference between the sides, though, was just that: Sooryavanshi was one, Gill and Sudharsan two.
Half an hour before the match began, Gill was furious at having to redo the toss because the match referee didn’t hear the call made by Riyan Parag. Both sides were desperate to bat first on a used pitch. Not for the first time, a team captained or coached by Kumar Sangakkara won a big toss on the second take, chose to bat first, and the opposition captain aced the chase in conditions that had improved for batting. Ravi Shastri conducted both the tosses for the broadcast, here and in the 2011 ODI World Cup final.
They went for 100 in seven overs between them in Qualifier 1, but GT’s two new-ball pillars, Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, produced a wicket each in their first overs. They were back to hitting the good and hard lengths with regularity. Siraj was short of a length first four balls, hitting Sooryavanshi’s bat low on two occasions and then drawing a top edge to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rabada defeated Dhruv Jurel with a 146kmph delivery that seamed away to force a mishit to mid-off in the second over.
In all likelihood, to provide Parag and Donovan Ferreira more favourable points of entry, RR promoted Jadeja to No. 4, and he did more than just see off the new ball. For a while he struck at a better rate than Sooryavanshi, who could hit just one six in the entire powerplay – straight into the sight screen off a 153kph hard-length ball from Rabada. Siraj bowled through the powerplay despite a shoulder injury.
Things were going smoothly for RR when the pain from the tennis elbow that Jadeja is carrying flared up, forcing him to retire hurt. Despite an ordinary first over from Rashid Khan that went for 18, RR fell away in the middle overs. Jason Holder, enjoying his best bowling season in the IPL, took out Parag and Dasun Shanaka in his first two overs, again using his height and the middle of the pitch to good effect. Still trying to protect Ferreira’s point of entry, RR promoted Archer and also sent Jadeja back in. From 82 for 2 in eight overs, when Jadeja first retired, RR went to 118 for 5 in 12.4 overs when Jadeja came back. In this period of 28 balls, Sooryavanshi faced only nine balls and enjoyed a reprieve from Sai Sudharsan, who misjudged a catch and ran in late from deep square leg.
Even though Jadeja struggled for fluency in his second coming, he and Sooryavanshi became the first pair to register two half-century stands in the same T20 innings. Sooryavanshi set some less quirky records in the process: more than 500 runs in the powerplay of a single tournament, quickest to 1000 IPL runs and most boundaries in a single tournament, to name just three. Hitting hard lengths over long-off and extra cover was the highlight of his innings. He also backed away to hit an upper-cut over point.
Sooryavanshi wanted to hit away from deep third on 97 in the last game but found the man. This time he tried to clear the man but Rabada got the bouncer high enough to draw the edge again, moving to 28 wickets and reclaiming the Purple Cap.
However, Rashid’s nightmare continued into his second over, the last of the innings, when Ferreira hit him for four sixes down the ground and from the crease.
As with the bat, RR relied too heavily on one player with the ball in Archer, who had given them seven first-over wickets this season. On this occasion, though, he gave width to Sai Sudharsan twice and slipped down the pads of Gill twice. There were also signs of the pitch having improved for batting. The spongy bounce disappeared, and the ball skidded on, and Gill and Sudharsan took risk-free hitting to the next level.
Sudharsan got a head start, enjoyed a life on 14 off 8, but Gill caught up and went past him with some delightful batting outside the powerplay as well. While Sooryavanshi had to clear fielders, it seemed in the second innings that there weren’t enough fielders on duty, and gaps everywhere for Gill to find.
This hundred from Gill was the fastest by a GT player, the century stand between Gill and Sudharsan was a world-record 11th, and the chase was GT’s highest. The most unimaginable feat of the night, though, belonged to Sudharsan, who lost his bat while hitting a ball to the off-side square boundary for the second time in two nights and was out hit-wicket again.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 219 for 3 in 18.4 overs (Shubman Gill 104, B Sai Sudharsan 58, Washington Sundar 16, Rahul Tewatia 17*; Jofra Archer 1-45, Nandre Burger 1-35, Brijesh Sharma 1-44) beat Rajasthan Royals 214 for 6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 96, Ravindra Jadeja 45*, Riyan Parag 11, Donovan Ferreira 38*; Mohammed Siraj 1-42, Jason Holder 2-27, Kagiso Rabada 2-35, Prasidh Krishna 1-42 ) by seven wickets
[Cricinfo]
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri arrived at the Port of Colombo on an official visit today, 8 September 2026, where it was received by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with time-
honoured naval traditions.
INS Udaygiri is a 149.02m long Frigate, Commanded by Captain Vikas Sood. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer of the visiting ship is scheduled to call on Commander Western Naval
Area, Rear Admiral Harsha De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters.
Captain Sood served as the Defence Adviser at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka from July 2020 to October 2023.
During their stay in the island, the crew of INS Udaygiri will participate in several goodwill events organized by the Sri Lanka Navy to enhance camaraderie between the two forces.
The visiting personnel are also scheduled to visit prominent tourist and cultural locations across the island.
Additionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel are expected to visit the ship for capability observation and knowledge sharing, and will conduct onboard training during its stay.
Harshitha Samarawickrema’s splendid 48 not out off 37 balls took Sri Lanka over the line in a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh. The defending champions secured a semi-final berth with a four-wicket win, and by virtue of topping Group B, will play the side that finishes second in Group A on Friday.
An excellent opening spell of 2 for 17 from Marufa Akter put Bangladesh in firm control of the match after they posted a below-par target of 115, thanks to Chamudi Prabodha’s career-best figures of 3 for 21.
Sri Lanka found themselves behind the required run rate for much of the chase after losing their top order inside the powerplay and slipping to five down by the tenth over. But a resolute Samarawickrama brought Sri Lanka back into the contest by absorbing the pressure throughout the middle overs before landing the final punches to seal the win. This was Sri Lanka’s seventh consecutive win over Bangladesh.
Praboda strangles Bangladesh
This was only the sixth international match the 17-year-old left-arm spinner had played after making her debut against Pakistan in a three-match T20I series last month, and she doubled her tally of wickets on Sunday.
As Bangladesh looked to rebuild after Juairiya Ferdous fell in the fifth over, Praboda struck in her first over, the seventh of the match, to send the dangerous-looking Dilara Akter back to the hut two balls after being hit for a boundary by her. Dilara made a run-a-ball 26 after adjusting to the slow surface. She made her attacking intent known in the third over when she dispatched three consecutive balls from Sri Lanka pacer Chethana Vimukthi for boundaries.
Praboda and the other Sri Lankan spinners bowled with great discipline and used their variations with great guile to put a stranglehold on the Bangladesh batters, who managed just 114 for 8.
With Sobhana Mostary (34 off 41) and Shorna Akter (9 off 14) stretching their steady 41-run stand into the death overs, the Bangladesh dugout must have anticipated a much bigger total than what they eventually managed. Their hopes were bulldozed by Praboda in her last over as she accounted for both batters inside three balls. The left-arm spinner bamboozled Mostary with flight to have her stumped before drawing Dilara into chipping a tossed-up delivery back to her.
An unlucky outing for Athapaththu
Nilakshi Silva and Vimukthi dropped sitters off Chamari Athapaththu’s bowling, with the former putting down Mostary in the 14th over. Athapaththu eventually got a wicket in her last over, but missed out on a second when on-field umpire Humaira Farah turned down a clear caught-behind appeal off the last ball of her spell.
During the chase, her stay at the crease lasted only two balls, as Fahima Khatun took a sharp catch at first slip when she advanced down the pitch to smash Marufa over the top of her head. That shot, on any other day, would have landed in the stands, as is often the case when Athapaththu charges at the bowlers.
Marufa turns a straightforward chase into a contest
Bangladesh needed early wickets to make a contest of what many expected to be a cakewalk for Sri Lanka, with the required rate below a run-a-ball at the start of the chase. Marufa delivered exactly what was needed, accounting for both Sri Lankan openers.
Marufa had Athapaththu caught at first slip off the last ball of the first over before bowling a jaffa in her next over, rattling Imesha Dulani’s stumps with one that ripped through the gate. Her three powerplay overs yielded 2 for 17.
Sri Lanka’s middle order crumbled under pressure as Sanjana Kavindi was bowled by Sultana Khatun off the last ball of the powerplay. They were soon five down for 44 in the tenth over, but a gutsy 38-run stand between Samarawickrama and Nilakshika Silva brought them back into the contest and threatened to take the game away from Bangladesh.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana returned to her trump card in the 17th over, and Marufa obliged with a perfect over to shift the momentum back in her side’s favour. The seamer bowled Silva and conceded only four runs to finish with career-best T20I figures of 3 for 21. It was the fourth time in her 48-match T20I career that she had taken three wickets in the format.
Samarawickrama finishes the job
Ritu Moni had been immaculate in her first three overs, but Samarawickrama plundered 16 runs off her last over – the most conceded in an over in the match – to swing the game in Sri Lanka’s favour.
A lucky inside edge off the second ball raced to the fine-leg boundary as Moni followed Samarawickrama after she backed away to make room on the off side. The next ball landed straight into the advertising cushion at midwicket as the batter swept the medium pacer for six. She then danced down the wicket to launch Nahida Akter for a towering six down the ground, reducing the equation to two off the final over.
The win came off the second ball of the final over, with the ball trickling past the keeper after brushing her pad.
Scores:
Sri Lanka Women 115 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Imesha Dulani 12, Harshitha Samarawickrama 48*, Nilakshika Silva 18, Kaushini Nuthyangana 11*; Marufa Akter 3-21, Sultana Khatun 1-14, Ritu Moni 1-29) beat Bangladesh Women 114 for 8 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 26, Juairia Ferdous 14, Solbhana Mostary 34, Fahima Khatun 14; Sugandika Kumari 2-22, Chamari Athapaththu 1-20, Chamudi Praboda 3-21, Kavisha Dilhari 1-17) by four wickets
[Cricinfo]
Pakistan were bowled out for 55, their lowest total in T20I cricke. A collapse where they lost six wickets for eight runs in 29 balls set them so far back that they couldn’t even bat out 20 overs. Harmanpreet Kaur, who broke new ground by becoming the first player – male or female – to lead her team 150 times in T20Is, had the time of her life celebrating each wicket and eventually scoring the winning runs as well.
Shree Charani shines
Old-fashioned left-arm spin is having a resurgence. India men have found Manav Suthar. India women already had N Shree Charanin. The No. 1-ranked T20I bowler in the world picked up two wickets in her first over on Saturday.
The flight on the ball drew Gull Feroza out of her crease. The drift in had her looking leg side. The dip and the turn resulted in a leading edge and a simple catch to point. The bowler did everything right. The batter did everything wrong. Shawaal Zulfiqar was the only Pakistan batter to put any kind of pressure on India. Charani had her lbw for 14 off 14 and from there it was a procession.
Pakistan’s batting troubles
Playing their 200th T20I, Pakistan went from 27 for 0 to 35 for 6 before the innings was halfway done. They could not find a risk-free way to score runs, absorbing long periods of dot balls and trying to get out of it by playing low-percentage shots, often against the turn, on a Dubai pitch that was offering plenty of it. Only the openers got to double digits and only Zulfiqar was able to score a run a ball.
Rawat’s support act
Prema Rawat finished with figures of 4-0-9-3. Nineteen of her 24 balls were dots. All of that is remarkable considering she is a legspinner, whose release points tend to be just shy of the perpendicular. Like Shane Warne. From there, they turn their wrist over and it can either be awesome or awful. Rawat’s release point is perpendicular, maybe even beyond it, like Rashid Khan’s. And she doesn’t turn her wrist. For the most part, she just flicks the ball out the front of her hand. This gives her better control at the cost of big turn and in T20Is, that trade-off is well worth it. Nobody could hit Rawat off her line and length and when Sadaf Shamas tried, she got bowled off her pads.
A simple enough chase
Scores:
India Women 57 for 3 in 8.4 overs (Shafali Verma 12, Harmanpreet Kaur 18*, Deepti Sharma 12*; Fatima Sana 3-17) beat Pakistan Women in 18.1 overs 55 (Muneesha Ali 13, Shawal Zulfiqar 14, Shafali Verma 1-10, Shree Charani 3-07, Deepti Sharma 2-05, Prema Rawat 3-09) by seven wickets
(Cricinfo)
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