Sai Sudarshan and Shubman Gill (Photo Courtesy: IPL)

Everything about Gujarat Titans’ season has revolved around the opening pair Shubman Gill And Sai Sudarshan, and now former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan have also joined the growing list of fans of the pair.This pair once again showed their magic in Qualifier 2. Rajasthan RoyalsWhile chasing the difficult target of 215 runs, made a match-winning opening partnership of 167 runs. Gill played a brilliant inning of 104 runs in 53 balls, while Sudarshan provided explosive support by scoring 58 runs in just 32 balls. Their partnership completely absorbed the pressure of the knockout contest and effectively decided the result long before the final overs.Both batsmen have crossed the 700-run mark this season, with Gill currently placed second in the Orange Cap standings with 722 runs, while Sudarshan is right behind him with 710 runs.Speaking on JioStar, Irfan Pathan described Gill and Sudarshan as the greatest opening pair in IPL history.“Shubman Gill and Sai Sudarshan Tata are the best batting pair in IPL history. They hold the record for the highest 100-run partnership and most 50-plus partnerships in the tournament. In T20 cricket, if you want a good start, you want both of them at the top. They complement each other. One rotates the strike, the other finds the boundary. Their understanding is remarkable,” Irfan Pathan said on Geostar.Pathan also highlighted how the pair thwarted Rajasthan Royals’ bowling plans in Qualifier 2.“If bowlers try short-pitched balls, they really enjoy it. They are ready to play cut shots and punish any short ones. Nandre Berger and Jofra Archer did just that. He bowled short and Gill and Sudarshan were waiting. Even when Yashraj Punja came into the attack he bowled slightly shorter lengths. Shubman Gill is not afraid to use his legs against both fast bowlers and spinners. “He comes out, creates space and hits it over the top,” he said. According to Pathan, the 167-run partnership proved to be the defining moment of the match – “Rajasthan Royals lost the match because of the opening partnership of 167 runs in just 77 balls. That stand took the chase away from him completely.”His consistency is nothing new. Last season, despite Gujarat Titans’ eliminator loss to Mumbai Indians, Gill and Sudarshan scored 912 runs in 15 innings, which was the highest partnership of IPL 2025. Sudarshan also ended that campaign as the Orange Cap winner. This season, the pair have already scored 886 runs in 15 innings and need just 27 runs to surpass their own record in the final.