Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Shubman Gill has emerged as the best captain of IPL 2026 after Gujarat Titans registered a thumping win over Chennai Super Kings to boost their hopes of a top-two finish ahead of the playoffs. Kaif praised Gill’s leadership style, tactical clarity and the way he managed Gujarat’s bowling attack throughout the season.

Gill once again led from the front with the bat on Thursday, scoring 64 off 37 balls as Gujarat Titans posted a mammoth total of 229 against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. The GT captain now has 616 runs in 13 matches this season and continues to combine elite batting consistency along with captaincy.

IPL 2026, GT vs CSK: highlighted | Achievement:

Gujarat finally defeated CSK by 89 runs To make a strong comeback after the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. Sai Sudarshan’s 84, Gill’s fluid innings and Jos Buttler’s explosive 57 took GT to a huge score in the first innings, but the bowlers bowled out Chennai for just 140 runs in 13.4 overs.

This defeat officially ended CSK IPL The 2026 campaign ended with 12 points from 14 matches. This is the third consecutive season where Chennai failed to qualify for the playoffs.

After the match, Kaif went to Ax and strongly supported Gill amid the ongoing debate over his leadership ability in T20 cricket.

“For me, Shubman Gill is the best captain in this IPL. The mark of a great captain is how he uses his bowlers. His bowlers have taken 108 wickets in 14 matches,” Kaif posted.

“RCB, PBKS, SRH, RR, CSK have been bowled out by GT bowlers, Gill has told his bowlers to stick to Test match line and length. Gill plays proper cricket – he has great batting technique and knows how to use his bowlers.”

Despite Gujarat’s strong campaign, Gill’s captaincy has been under heavy scrutiny, especially after he was dropped as India’s T20I vice-captain and was overlooked for India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning squad. But the Gujarat captain has given a strong response to IPL 2026, both as a leader and a batsman.

Apart from becoming the third captain after David Warner and KL Rahul to score more than 600 runs in consecutive IPL seasons, Gill also joined an elite list along with Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar by scoring more than 500 runs in multiple IPL seasons as captain.

The innings against CSK also made him the seventh fastest batsman to complete 6000 T20 runs.

Speaking after the match, Gill said that Gujarat’s focus is on maintaining consistency rather than looking for anything extra to get into the playoffs.

“It’s about maintaining the good things and delivering game after game with the same impact. We don’t need to add anything else. But if we can continue what we are doing, it will put us in a good place,” Gill said.

Gill also admitted that the memories of GT’s defeat against the same opponent last season are still fresh in his mind.

He said, “After 12 matches, we were number one last season. We had lost the last two games. We played the last game against the same opponent. I think they scored around 230 and we got bowled out at 120 or something. So, there were some flashbacks coming in this game.”

How has been Shubman Gill’s GT captaincy in IPL 2026?

Shubman Gill’s second full season as Gujarat Titans captain has quietly turned into one of the strongest leadership campaigns of IPL 2026.

GT have looked one of the most balanced teams in the tournament and much of that has come from the clarity shown by Gill with his bowling rotation and tactical discipline. Gujarat’s bowling attack has dominated the opposition by sticking to tight lengths and disciplined lines rather than constantly chasing variations.

Their bowlers have now taken 108 wickets in 14 matches, with teams including RCB, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings losing to GT this season.

Gill has also continued to perform well as the batting leader at the top of the order. Taking on the additional responsibility of captaincy, he has scored 616 runs at an average of 47.38 and strike rate of 161.68.

More importantly, the GT gained momentum at exactly the right time. The win over CSK marked their sixth win in the last seven matches as they head into the playoffs looking like one of the strongest contenders for the IPL 2026 title.

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