Two matches, two bizarre hit-wickets: Is Sai Sudharsan the unluckiest batter in IPL?
IPL 2026: Sai Sudharsan was hit-wicket again during Gujarat Titans' Qualifier 2 chase against Rajasthan Royals. The repeat dismissal in consecutive knockout matches overshadowed another fine innings and sparked widespread chatter.
Sai Sudharsan produced one of the strangest coincidences of IPL 2026 during Gujarat Titans' Qualifier 2 clash against Rajasthan Royals, getting dismissed hit-wicket for the second game in a row. Just days after suffering the same fate against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1, the GT opener once again saw a brilliant innings end in identical fashion.
Having already suffered a bizarre hit-wicket dismissal against RCB earlier in the playoffs, Sudharsan once again saw his bat crash into the stumps after playing a shot behind square on the off side. The unusual nature of the dismissal quickly went viral, with many fans struggling to believe the same batter had fallen in such similar circumstances in back-to-back knockout matches.
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The coincidence was made even stranger by the fact that Sudharsan was in the middle of another magnificent innings and looked set to guide Gujarat Titans to victory.
After helping GT get off to a flying start in their chase of 215, Sudharsan and Shubman Gill had completely taken control of proceedings with a breathtaking partnership worth 167 runs off just 77 balls. At one stage, Gujarat appeared to be cruising towards a 10-wicket win.
The bizarre ending should not take away from what was otherwise another outstanding innings from the Gujarat opener.
Sudharsan had once again underlined why he has been one of the standout batters of IPL 2026. He raced to a 26-ball half-century and crossed the 700-run mark for the season, continuing a campaign that has placed him among the tournament's leading run-scorers.
Alongside Gill, he dismantled the Rajasthan Royals bowling attack and turned a daunting chase into what looked like a straightforward task.
Even after Sudharsan's dismissal, Gujarat's momentum barely slowed. Gill continued batting aggressively, bringing up a stunning century in just 47 balls and keeping GT firmly on course in the chase.
Yet despite the quality of the batting display, it was Sudharsan's dismissal that dominated social media conversations.
WHAT SUDHARSAN SAID ABOUT DISMISSALS?
This was the third time that Sudharsan has been dismissed hit wicket in the IPL. The first incident was in 2022 during a game against MI and the other two this season. Speaking to the broadcasters after the game, Sudharsan said that he may need to do some grip tech to solve the issue.
The GT opener was able to find the funny side of things, joking that he was trying to hit the stumps straight up as compared to the RCB game.
I think I should try something. I am going to try some grip tech now, honestly I don't have an answer of how it happened. Seriously. Last game it spun and hit the stumps. But in this game, I guess, I wanted to the stumps straight.
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