Hardik Pandya and Co. did their homework well on Thursday following a humiliating 15-run defeat over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 1, patterns observed in the 12-year history of the playoffs suggest the four-time champions led by MS Dhoni has history on its side.

In fact, the team had Shubman Gill to thank for as the lanky opener extended his sensational run with a third century of the season as the defending champions crushed Mumbai Indians by 62 runs to storm into their second consecutive IPL final on Friday. Gill's 60-ball 129 (7x4s, 10x6s) fired Gujarat Titans to a huge 233/3 and in reply, Mumbai, struck by a string of injuries, went down fighting in Qualifier 2 with Suryakumar Yadav (61) and Tilak Varma (43) providing the resistance.