Gujarat Titans made a commanding start against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, with Sai Sudharsan driving the innings after Rajat Patidar chose to bowl first. Sai Sudharsan accelerated after a cautious opening, reached his half-century and helped set a solid platform in the powerplay.
Working in step with Shubman Gill, Sudharsan mixed elegant boundaries with powerful sixes as Gujarat stayed ahead of the bowling, even after Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball for Bengaluru. The introduction of spin did not slow the scoring rate, and after eight overs Gujarat were 78/0.
Sudharsan also reached 2000 IPL runs in 46 innings, placing him among the fastest players to get there. The innings underlined why he is being seen as one of the league’s most promising young batters, with the Titans’ opening stand giving them control from the start.
For Bengaluru, the problem was not just the runs on the board but the way they came. Sudharsan and Gill kept the pressure on through the powerplay, and once the spin was introduced, the response was no different. If Gujarat carry that opening momentum through the rest of the innings, they will leave RCB with a chase built on very little margin for error.
