IPL 2025: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan shine as GT crush DC to clinch playoff spot

New Delhi: Openers Shubman Gill and Sudharsan Sai scripted a magnificent run chase as Gujarat Titans inflicted a humiliating 10-wicket loss on Delhi Capitals and booked their spot in the playoffs in a key IPL encounter here on Sunday.

In chase of 200 to win, Sudharsan (108 not out) and Gill (93 not out) took the responsibility light, propelling Gujarat to 205 for no loss with six balls remaining.

While Sudharsan hit 12 fours and four sixes, Gill smashed seven sixes and three fours in the unbroken stand.

Before that, KL Rahul thrived as an opener, smashing 14 fours and four sixes in an unbeaten 112 off 65 deliveries to drive Delhi Capitals to 199 for 3 after being asked to bat.

With this victory, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings also secured their playoff spots. Delhi Capitals, however, need to win their remaining two matches and depend on other teams to have a hope of making it to the knockout stage.

DC’s strategy of beginning with a spin-pace mixture plan backfired as GT galloped to 31 without loss in two overs, with Sudharsan raping 20 runs off T Natarajan, including three fours and a six. Axar Patel was also pricey, giving away 11 and 12 in his initial two overs.

Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera halted the run flow briefly with clean spells as GT were 59 for no loss at the powerplay close.

The spin pairing of Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav was brought in shortly afterwards, but DC wasted two reviews in consecutive overs — both about Sudharsan. The left-hander survived first a caught-behind appeal by Vipraj on 44, and then a leg-before cry by Kuldeep on 46, much to the anger of the home side.

Sudharsan recorded his half-century with a four off Axar in the ninth over.

Gill, till then playing second fiddle, changed gears and started trading sixes. He slog-swept Axar over deep midwicket, danced down on Kuldeep for a flat six, and followed it up with a clean hit over Vipraj’s head.

He went ahead to edge Chameera over deep midwicket before taking his fifty off 33 balls — his first four of the innings having arrived in the 13th over. He hit another six off Vipraj as DC’s bowling faltered.

Both openers going strong, GT pounded four successive overs of double-figure scores from the ninth to the twelfth to take charge of the chase, reaching 154 in 15 overs.

Sudharsan thrashed Kuldeep for a straight six to complete his century off just 56 deliveries and appropriately concluded the match with another six against Vipraj in the 19th over.

DC were dealt an early setback when Faf du Plessis (5) was sent packing by Arshad Khan (1/7 in 2 overs) in the fourth over.

Rahul, on the other hand, steadied the innings with calm and aggression, putting on 90 runs off 52 balls with Abishek Porel (30), then a 45-run stand in 26 deliveries with skipper Axar Patel (25), and an unbeaten 48-run stand off 22 deliveries with Tristan Stubbs (21 not out).

Rahul, who has been successful as an opening batsman for his past franchises, was in total command, striking the off-side with accurate cut shots and effortlessly clearing the ropes. He pulled Kagiso Rabada over long leg for the first six and went one better with another one over long-off.

Abishek contributed two sixes before being removed by Sai Kishore, but Rahul kept running away with the show, scoring three lucky boundaries in one over off the left-arm spinner.

Axar continued the show with a four and a six against Sai Kishore to help take the score above 150 before being out to Prasidh Krishna.

Rahul kept the pace, hitting two sixes in the 19th over to get to his century off 60 balls — his first hundred of the season — and joined the elite list of players who have scored IPL hundreds for not one but three franchises, including Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants.

Stubbs added the finishing touches with a couple of powerful hits as DC ended just short of the 200-run mark.

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