Mullanpur: Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 brought victory for the Gujarat Titans, but embarrassment for Sai Sudharsan. In the match against the Rajasthan Royals, Sudharsan was once again dismissed via the hit-wicket method. Prior to this, he had been dismissed in the exact same manner during Qualifier 1 against RCB. Never before in the history of the IPL had any batsman been dismissed hit-wicket in two consecutive innings.
How Was Sudharsan Dismissed?
In the 13th over, Sudharsan cut a low full-toss delivery from Brijesh Sharma towards the off-side. As he played the shot, the bat slipped from his hands, flew backward, and struck the stumps. The ball raced away to the boundary, but Sudharsan had to return to the pavilion after scoring 58 runs. Notably, during Qualifier 1 against RCB, his bat had similarly slipped and hit the stumps.
Why Did Shubman Gill’s Reaction Go Viral?
Standing at the non-striker’s end, captain Shubman Gill was left stunned by the sight. He sank to his knees and clutched his head in disbelief. Commentator Ravi Shastri also chimed in, asking, “Where is the Fevicol? Where is the glue?” After the match, Gill jokingly remarked that they would have to tape Sudharsan’s hands for the next game.
What Records Did Sudharsan Set?
Sudharsan has become the first Indian batsman in the IPL to be dismissed hit-wicket three times. In terms of overall T20 cricket, he has now equaled the record held by Andre Russell and Shoaib Malik. In the IPL, no other batsman has ever been dismissed hit-wicket more than once. Ironically, in this very match, he scored 58 runs off just 32 balls and crossed the 700-run milestone. He became only the third batsman—after Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle—to score 700-plus runs in two separate IPL seasons.
What Was the Match Outcome?
Batting first, Rajasthan posted a total of 214/6. Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the standout performer, smashing 96 runs off 47 balls. In reply, Gill and Sudharsan added 167 runs in just 12.5 overs. This stands as the highest opening partnership in the history of the IPL playoffs. Gill scored 104 runs off 53 balls. Gujarat chased down the target, finishing at 219/3 in 18.4 overs to win the match by 7 wickets. GT will now face RCB in the final on May 31st.
What did Sudharsan say in his defense?
Speaking after the match, Sudharsan laughed and remarked, “It seems I’ll have to try a different grip technique now.” He admitted that while his bat had flown out of his hands and hit the stumps on a previous occasion, this time he was simply attempting to hit the ball straight. Consequently, ‘Fevicol’ began trending on social media, with fans joking that Sudharsan needed to strengthen the bond between his bat and his hands.
