Sai Sudharsan Shatters Chris Gayle’s Record, Becomes Fastest to 2,000 IPL Runs
Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan set a new Indian Premier League record on Friday, becoming the fastest batter to score 2,000 runs in the tournament’s history. The 23-year-old achieved the milestone during a high-stakes clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Sudharsan reached the 2,000-run mark in just 47 innings. This achievement breaks the long-standing record held by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who reached the milestone in 48 innings.
Fastest Batters to 2,000 IPL Runs
Entering the match needing 72 runs to secure the record, Sudharsan delivered a dominant century, finishing with 100 runs off 58 deliveries before being dismissed by Josh Hazlewood. Prior to this fixture, the left-handed batter accumulated 1,928 runs across 46 innings, boasting an average of 45.90 and a strike rate of 145.83. His IPL career statistics now include two centuries and 13 half-centuries.
| Player | Team(s) | Innings to 2,000 Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Sai Sudharsan | Gujarat Titans | 47 |
| Chris Gayle | KKR, PBKS, RCB | 48 |
| Shaun Marsh | Punjab Kings | 52 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Chennai Super Kings | 57 |
Match Overview and Team Changes
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first. The RCB lineup featured a single change, bringing in English batter Jacob Bethell to replace the injured Phil Salt. Bethell marks his first appearance of the season.
For the Gujarat Titans, captain Shubman Gill introduced two changes to the playing XI. West Indies pace-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder made his debut for the franchise, while left-arm spinner Manav Suthar returned to the side.
Playing XIs
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar.
- Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj.
Sudharsan’s century secures his position as a primary run-scorer for the Titans franchise. Fans and analysts can track detailed player statistics and official match progressions through ESPNcricinfo and the BCCI official portal.