IPL 2025: Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have added 628 runs in 10 matches — the most by any opening duo this season. Are they the best opening pair so far?
Gujarat Titans (GT) are having a dream season, having won 7 of their first 10 games in the competition. In doing so, they have all but sealed their spot in the playoffs and look good for a top 2 finish at the end of the league stage. Most of these wins have been dominating ones.
So, what has made them a strong force in this competition?
From the outset, we can say the contributions of GT’s top order, especially the runs from the bat of skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan while batting together. As a pair, they hammered 628 runs at the top, with the help of 6 fifty+ run stands and did so at a run rate of 9.42 in 10 innings.
Most runs as an opening pair in IPL 2025 till the 52nd game
When we take a look at the other opening pairs who have batted together as many times as these two batters have done, none of them close to the run tally. While the scoring rate of the Arya-Prabhsimran (10.7), Virat-Salt (10.34) and Abhishek-Head (10.89) are high, the consistency level of GT duo make them stand out from their peers.
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Advantages it has given to the team:
GT make the best use of the batting powerplay:
When the team’s openers make the amount of runs that the Gill-Sudharsan and at that strike rate, the team invariably wins the batting powerplay phase. Sudharsan leads the run-charts in this phase by scoring 274 runs at an astounding SR of 154.80 and his partner, Gill has made 217 runs striking at 155. The stats suggests these two not just have scored huge runs but also have batted long consistently.
In a way, these two have dominated powerplays and it has paved a way for GT to flourish in the middle overs.
Most runs by a batter in powerplays in IPL 2025
Middle order has capitalized to good effect
This consistency in powerplays has helped the rest of GT’s batting order to take advantage in the middle overs. They scored the most runs in overs (7-15) and at least one of three top order batters, ie, Gill, Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have taken full advantage of the foundation that was laid in the powerplays.
With at least one of them scoring big (50 or more) in every other game, GT has benefited and often have strong finish to their batting innings. The trio has made sure, the one-time champs have enough in the tank to post these big totals (200+) regularly and the strong bowling of theirs have taken of defending totals.
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Runs by teams in the middle overs in IPL 2025
A big threat of the opposition
Both Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are natural stroke makers of the cricket ball and not power hitters. While they can clear ropes at will, the pair rely more on their timing and playing orthodox cricketing shots. Very rarely, we see them playing these fancy shots and the pair’s traditional approach has made it much difficult for opposition to dislodge them early in the piece.
While Sudharsan has smashed the most number of boundary fours (55), Gill has struck 48 of them. At the same time, they have hit 16 and 15 sixes respectively. So, even when they play dots, with the number of boundaries they score, scoring rate has never been an issue. The strike rates of Sai Sudharsan (504 at 154.12) and Shubman Gill (465 at 162.02) are a testament to the above statement.
The left-right-hand opening pair are quick on their feet and agile between the wickets and this has worked to GT’s advantage in this IPL. Gujarat team will hope for more of such returns from the duo going into the business end of the tournament.
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