Sudharsan-Gill over Kohli-Gayle? Suresh Raina picks GT's orange cap leaders as best opening pair in IPL history

Gujarat Titans (GT) will lock horns against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Tuesday, May 26. This is going to be a key clash for both of the teams, to secure direct qualification to finals.

Ahead of the game, former India batter Suresh Raina has hailed GT's skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as the best batting pair ever in the history of the tournament. According to Raina, the next pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli in the third spot.

"Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the finest batting pair in the history of IPL. In 46 innings together, they have put up 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more. The next best pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli in third place," said Raina on JioHotstar.

While talking further, Raina noted the brilliant understanding between Gill and Sudharsan, as they compliment each other very well. The former India batter highlighted the stunning stats etched by the GT opening duo.

"This shows the quality of Gill and Sai. They complement each other's games very well. What stands out is that they have reached 21 fifty-plus stands in just 46 innings - the fastest in IPL history. Gayle and Kohli took 59 innings to get there, while ABD and Kohli needed 76 innings," concluded Raina.

Shubman Gill's strong IPL 2026 season

So far after 13 games, GT skipper has endured a spectacular campaign in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. The right-handed batter has scored 616 runs in 13 outings at an average of 47.38 with an unusual aggressive strike rate of 161. 68. Gill has managed to register six half-centuries in the tournament, making him the second-highest run-getter for GT.

Sai Sudharsan delivers yet another consistent IPL season

Sai Sudharsan has dropped another masterclass campaign for GT in the IPL 2026 season, amassing 638 runs in 14 games at an average of 49.08 with relatively high strike rate of 157.92. The left-handed opener has recorded one century and seven half-centuries in the competition so far. With these stats, he stands as the top-run getter for GT in the ongoing edition.