NEW DELHI: Not once. Twice. Same dismissal. Same reaction. Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan suffered a bizarre dismissal during the IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on Friday, getting out hit-wicket in almost identical fashion to his dismissal in Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamsala.With the unusual dismissal, Sudharsan became the first batter in IPL history to be dismissed hit-wicket in back-to-back innings.GT skipper Shubman Gill, batting at the non-striker’s end, was visibly stunned. The Gujarat Titans captain looked distraught and even collapsed to the ground in disbelief after watching his opening partner walk back in such unfortunate circumstances.After Rajasthan Royals posted a formidable 214/6 in 20 overs, powered by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive 96 off 47 balls, Gujarat Titans got off to a flying start. Openers Gill and Sudharsan stitched together a century stand and appeared to have the chase firmly under control.Just when it looked like the duo would guide Gujarat Titans to victory, Sudharsan’s innings came to an abrupt end. Attempting to put away a low full toss from Brijesh Sharma through the off side, Sudharsan lost grip of his bat after making contact. The bat flew backwards and crashed into the stumps, resulting in a hit-wicket dismissal.The crowd was left stunned, while Gill dropped to his haunches in frustration at the other end.“Where is the fevicol? Where is the glue?” Ravi Shastri quipped on air.Chasing 215, Gill and Sudharsan made light work of the target, adding 167 runs in just 12.5 overs before the unfortunate dismissal ended Sudharsan’s innings. Despite the setback, Gujarat Titans cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals.After the match, Gill was asked about Sudharsan’s unusual dismissal.“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything. No one’s seen anything like that, two matches, back to back in a row. The way he got out. I saw some video on social media that taping his hand, I think I’m going to have to do that in the next match,” Gill said.With the win, Gujarat Titans set up a title clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
