Gill ton seals Gujarat final spot as Sooryavanshi’s 96 in vain in record IPL chase against Rajasthan

Chasing 215, GT rode a blistering 167-run opening stand between Gill (104 off 53) and Sai Sudharsan (58 off 32) to seal victory with eight balls to spare and set up a rematch with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final in Ahmedabad.

Earlier, Sooryavanshi's sensational season continued as he struck 96 off 47 balls in a near one-man effort that lifted Rajasthan to 214/6. The 15-year-old, who finished the tournament with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.3, once again fell agonisingly short of a century after being dismissed attempting to clear deep third man off Kagiso Rabada.

His knock came on a testing surface against a high-quality GT attack and was built on control as much as power, reaching his slowest IPL fifty in 31 balls before accelerating with a flurry of boundaries. He shared key stands with Ravindra Jadeja (45 not out), who battled through injury, and briefly revived Rajasthan after early strikes reduced them to 9/2.

Mohammed Siraj and Rabada set the tone with disciplined new-ball spells, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel respectively, before Jason Holder's double blow in the middle overs triggered a collapse. Rajasthan slipped from 82/2 to 118/5 after Jadeja retired hurt, with Sooryavanshi briefly left stranded amid a chaotic middle order.

A late surge from Donovan Ferreira, who smashed an unbeaten 38 off 11 balls including four sixes in the final over off Rashid Khan, pushed Rajasthan to a competitive total, though it ultimately proved insufficient.

In reply, GT's chase was clinical and largely risk-free. Gill and Sudharsan took advantage of improved batting conditions, with the pitch flattening under lights and offering little assistance to the bowlers. While Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada attempted to strike early, width and missed lengths were punished as GT eased through the powerplay.

Sudharsan received a reprieve on 14, and together the pair dismantled the target with controlled aggression rather than brute force. Their partnership not only set up the chase but also produced several records, including a century stand that underlined GT's dominance at the top.

Sudharsan eventually fell hit wicket for the second match running in a bizarre dismissal, before Gill, having reached his first century of the season, was trapped lbw by Archer.

But the outcome was never in doubt. Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar and Rahul Tewatia completed the formalities as GT cruised home, sealing their third final in five seasons since their 2022 title-winning debut.

The result sets up a high-profile final in Ahmedabad, with GT now meeting Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the title after losing to them in Qualifier 1 earlier in the week. 

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