IPL 2026: Suresh Raina calls Gill and Sudharsan best opening pair in IPL history

Suresh Raina, Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill (Pic: AFP)

Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina has hailed Gujarat Titans openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as the best batting partnership in IPL history, praising the Gujarat Titans duo for their remarkable consistency at the top of the order.

Gill and Sudharsan have established themselves as one of the most destructive and dependable opening pairs in the tournament. Building on their strong performances from previous seasons, the duo continued their record-breaking exploits in IPL 2026.

The GT openers recently entered an elite list in T20 cricket history by registering their 10th century partnership. This milestone drew them level with celebrated pairs such as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.

"Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the finest batting pair in the history of the IPL. In just 46 innings together, they have stitched together 21 partnerships of 50 runs or more," Raina said on JioHotstar's commentary panel.

"The next most prolific pair is Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli, followed by AB de Villiers and Kohli. This statistical backing truly highlights the sheer quality of Gill and Sai. They complement each other's style perfectly. What is truly mind-boggling is that they reached 21 fifty-plus stands in just 46 innings - the quickest in IPL history. For comparison, Gayle and Kohli required 59 innings to reach that mark, while de Villiers and Kohli took 76 innings."

Suresh Raina impressed by Gill-Sudarshan duo's consistency

Lauding their regular contributions at the start of the innings, Raina highlighted the pair's maturity and understanding of match situations.

"The regularity with which Gill and Sudharsan deliver runs upfront is remarkable. They are willing to take their time to build an innings, keep the number of dot balls remarkably low, and adapt beautifully to each other's rhythms. Their tactical targeting of specific opposition bowlers is brilliant. One batsman expertly utilises the bowler's raw pace, while the other cleverly uses angles to manufacture room for his shots," Raina added.

"Both athletes maintain peak physical fitness, and their overall tactical awareness is top-class. They know exactly which strokes to execute and precisely when to shift gears. Their ultimate strength lies in their relentless run-scoring. No other batting combination in the IPL this season has come close to matching their level of consistency and impact," he concluded.

(With PTI inputs)