India, May 30 -- For the second time in three nights, teen phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed in the 90s, caught at third-man. For the second time in four nights, Sai Sudharsan managed to get himself out hit wicket, the bat spiralling off his hands and unerringly zeroing in on the stumps.

But it was a first of the season that shone the brightest on Friday. Shubman Gill, not just the Gujarat Titans skipper but also the captain of the Indian Test and ODI teams, produced a breathtaking innings of subliminal brilliance on his way to his first century this year, hauling his team to the final of IPL 2026, in their Ahmedabad backyard on Sunday against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

All season long, Gill has looked in pristine touch withou...