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Former CSK icon Suresh Raina heaped praise on Gujarat Titans’ opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan and termed them one of the best batting pairs in IPL history.
The pair first came together in GT in 2022 and have since become one of the league’s most consistent partnerships. Sudarshan batted mostly at No. 3 in the first two years, but in 2024, he moved up one place and started opening with Gill.
“The best batting pair in IPL history” – Suresh Raina
Speaking on JioHotstar, Raina placed the Gill-Sai duo at the top in terms of partnerships in IPL history. He compared both of them with legendary partnership pair like Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle and compared Kohli with AB de Villiers.
“Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan are the best batting pair in the history of IPL. In 46 innings they have put together 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more. The next best pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers. And Kohli is at the third position,” Raina said.
Raina cited several figures to present his claim. “This shows the quality of Gill and SAI. They complement each other’s game very well. The special thing is that they have reached 21 half-centuries in just 46 innings – which is the fastest in IPL history. Gayle and Kohli took 59 innings to reach there, while ABD and Kohli needed 76 innings,” Raina said.
“Their consistency as an opening pair is amazing” – Raina
Suresh Raina further said that the Gujarat Titans captain and his opening partner had a very good awareness of each other’s game, which helped them perform consistently.
“The consistency of Shubhman Gill and Sai Sudarshan as the opening pair is remarkable. They take their time in building 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 space for his shots.”
Raina concluded, “Both are extremely fit, and their awareness of the game is clear. They know which shots to play and when to attack. The biggest strength is how consistently they score. No other batting pair has been able to match their level of consistency in this IPL season.”
next match of gujarat titans
Gujarat Titans and their opening pair of captain Shubman Gill and left-armer Sai Sudarshan will be in action on Tuesday.
On May 26, GT will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. In the IPL 2026 points table, RCB finished first while Gujarat Titans finished second.
Both teams achieved 9 wins from 14 matches, but are separated in the points table on the basis of net run rate.
Both the teams remained tied at 1-1 in the league stage. At home in Bengaluru, RCB overcame Sai Sudarshan’s century thanks to Virat Kohli’s 81 runs, while in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans equalized with a brilliant bowling performance under Jason Holder.
The winner of Qualifier 1 will get a direct entry into the IPL final in Ahmedabad on May 31, while the loser will get another chance to reach the final by winning Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur on May 29.
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