Shubman Gill becomes first captain to register massive IPL record after leading GT to IPL 2026 final
Shubman Gill slammed a stellar 104 to take Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final after beating Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2. Gill has achieved a huge milestone in the process of his knock, which featured 15 fours and three sixes.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill played a stellar knock to guide his team to the final of the Indian Premier League 2026 after the seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 on Friday, May 29. Gill scored a low-risk, high-reward knock of 104 from 53 balls to help his team gun down 215 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
With his 104, Gill has become the first-ever captain to score a hundred in an IPL playoff game. The previous highest record for the top score in IPL knockouts belonged to David Warner and Rajat Patidar, both of whom had scored unbeaten 93 each, with the former's knock coming against the Gujarat Lions in 2016 and the latter's against the GT in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1.
Highest score by a captain in IPL playoffs:
1 - Shubman Gill: 104 vs RR in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2
2 - Rajat Patidar: 93* vs GT in IPL 2026 Qualifier 1
3 - David Warner: 93* vs Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016 Qualifier 2
4 - Shreyas Iyer: 87* vs MI in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2
5 - Adam Gilchrist: 85 vs Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2009 semifinal
Has any captain hit a hundred in T20 knockouts?
While Gill is the only captain to have hit a hundred in an IPL playoff, he is certainly not the only one to have done so in T20 cricket. There are 10 captains apart from the GT skipper to have achieved the feat, with Moeen Ali on top with his unbeaten 121 for Worcestershire against Sussex in Vitality Blast quarterfinal.
Others to have done so are JJ Smuts (121 for Warriors against Lions in CSA T20 Challenge 2019 final), Rajat Bhatia (107* for Delhi in SMAT 2012 quarterfinal against Railways), James Vince (107* for Hampshire against Worcestershire in NatWest T20 Blast quarterfinal), Upul Tharanga (104* for Colombo against Dambulla in SLC T20 League 2018 final), Temba Bavuma (104 for Lions against Warriors in CSA T20 Challenge 2019 final), Babar Azam (103 for Peshawar Zalmi against Islamabad United in PSL 2026 Qualifier), Ishan Kishan (101 for Jharkhand in SMAT 2025 final against Haryana), Aiden Markram (100 for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in SA20 2023 semifinal against Joburg Super Kings) and Muhammad Waseem (100 for UAE in ACC Men's Premier Cup 2024 final against Oman).
Gill carries GT to third IPL final
GT were up against a huge target after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi slammed 96 and Donovan Ferreira helped with the finish, smacking 38 from 11 balls. GT had never chased anything more than 204 in IPL, and the highest-ever chase in an IPL playoffs by any team was 204 too, which was achieved by Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 Qualifier 2.
GT are now into their third IPL final in their only fifth season. They had won the IPL 2022 on their maiden appearance before falling a little short to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final. They will now be up against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final in a fight for the title.
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