Sai Sudharsan continued his consistent run in IPL 2026 with a composed innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 56, reaching a significant personal milestone that places him alongside Virat Kohli.
After SRH opted to bowl first at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans found scoring difficult on a challenging surface. The early pressure saw GT lose two wickets in the powerplay, with the run rate slowing as SRH’s bowlers maintained control.
Sudharsan Reaches Landmark
Amid the early setbacks, Sudharsan anchored the innings and brought up a steady half-century before being dismissed for 61 off 44 balls by Sakib Hussain. During the knock, he also crossed the 500-run mark for the season.
With this, Sudharsan has now registered three consecutive IPL seasons with 500 or more runs, achieving the milestone in 2024, 2025 and 2026. He now equals Virat Kohli, who recorded three straight 500-plus seasons between 2023 and 2025.
Only a select group of players have maintained such consistency across multiple IPL seasons:
More Read
- 6 – David Warner (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020)
- 5 – KL Rahul (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
- 3 – Chris Gayle (2011, 2012, 2013)
- 3 – Shikhar Dhawan (2019, 2020, 2021)
- 3 – Virat Kohli (2023, 2024, 2025)
- 3 – Sai Sudharsan (2024, 2025, 2026)
Orange Cap Holder
Following his 61-run contribution, Sudharsan moved to the top of the run-scoring charts for IPL 2026. In 12 matches, he has accumulated 501 runs at an average of 41.75 and a strike rate of 155.10, including one century and five half-centuries, earning him the Orange Cap.
His consistency continues from IPL 2025, where he finished as the leading run-scorer with 759 runs. The current season reflects a continuation of that form as he remains a key contributor for Gujarat Titans.
GT Recover Through Sundar’s Late Push
Gujarat Titans had to work hard for runs throughout the innings, with Sudharsan holding the top order together. However, a late surge was required to push the total to a competitive level.
More Read
Washington Sundar provided that momentum with a crucial 50 off 33 balls, helping GT reach 168. The team added 45 runs in the final five overs to strengthen their position.
SRH Bowlers Keep Pressure On
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Praful Hinge stood out with the ball, finishing with figures of 2/17. Pat Cummins and Sakib Hussain also contributed, sharing three wickets between them. Eshan Maling, however, had an expensive outing, conceding 48 runs in his four overs.
Sudharsan’s milestone underlined his growing consistency in the IPL, as Gujarat Titans continue to build on his form during the 2026 campaign.
