Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has heaped praise on Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, calling them the best opening pair in the history of the IPL. Raina highlighted the duo’s consistency and understanding while batting together for Gujarat Titans.
Best opening combinations in IPL history
Gill and Sudharsan have been one of the most successful opening combinations in the league over the last two seasons. Their strong partnership continued in IPL 2026 as they entered an elite list in T20 cricket by registering their 10th century stand together. With that, they equalled the record held by legendary pairs like Chris Gayle-Virat Kohli, Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan and AB de Villiers-Kohli.
“Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the finest batting pair in the history of TATA IPL. In 46 innings together, they have put up 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more,” Raina said on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’.
“The next best pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli in third place. This shows the quality of Gill and Sai. They complement each other’s game very well. What stands out is that they have reached 21 fifty-plus stands in just 46 innings which is the fastest in IPL history. Gayle and Kohli took 59 innings to get there, while ABD and Kohli needed 76 innings.”
Raina on Gill, Sudharsan's consistency in IPL
Raina also spoke about the pair’s ability to build innings smartly and maintain consistency throughout the tournament.
“The consistency of Gill and Sudharsan as an opening pair is remarkable. They take time to build their innings, keep dot balls to a minimum, and complement each other’s game perfectly. They pick the right bowlers to target. One uses the pace of the bowler, while the other uses the angle to create room for his shots.
“Both are extremely fit, and their game awareness stands out. They know which shots to play and when to attack. The biggest strength is how consistently they score runs. No other batting pair in the IPL this season has matched their level of consistency,” he noted.
How Gill and Sudharsan handle the powerplay overs calmly?
Former India fast bowler Umesh Yadav also praised the Gujarat Titans openers and explained how calmly they handle the powerplay overs.
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“We’ve seen how well these two batters handle the powerplay. They don’t go for high-risk shots. They bat so smoothly that you feel the runs aren’t coming,” he said.
“But when the powerplay ends, you suddenly notice they’ve already put 60 on the board. That’s their class. They play according to their strengths and according to the nature of the pitch.”