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Gujarat Titans’ opening batter Sai Sudharsan became the fastest to score 3000 T20 runs during his side’s clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders in match number 60 of Indian Premier League 2026 season. KKR registered a shock victory in front of home support and put an end to Gujarat’s unbeaten run of 5 matches.
Gujarat had failed to chase down a mammoth total of 248 despite the standout performances from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Both the batters scored half-centuries and very much laid the foundation for the chase but it didn’t materialize. After number 3 batter Nishant Sandhu’s departure for just 1 run, Jos Buttler was the one who took control but even his 57 off 35 could not make any difference. with Kolkata ultimately winning by a good margin of 29 runs.
Despite the loss against KKR, Sai Sudharsan scripted history by becoming the fastest batter ever to reach 3,000 T20 runs. It took the 24-year-old just 78 innings to do so. Despite a brief injury scare where he retired hurt after being struck on the elbow, he returned to smash an unbeaten 53 off 28 balls but could not get his team over the line.
By reaching the 3k milestone in 78 innings, Sudharsan shattered the previous record held by former Australian batter Shaun Marsh who took 85 innings. Below them are D’Arcy Short (86 inn), Devon Conway (86 inn) and Chris Gayle (87).
Notably, Sudharsan has only played 1 T20 international for India in which he didn’t even get the chance to bat. He accumulated those 3000 runs just by playing in the IPL and the domestic circuit’s Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.
The 24-year-old has been in a sensational form in IPL 2026, much like last year when he won the Orange Cap by scoring a staggering 759 runs in 15 matches. This year, too, it seems Sai Sudharsan will finish as the highest run-getter as he is currently leading the charts with 554 runs in 13 matches.
If Gujarat qualifies, then Sudharsan could get a few extra matches which will help him surpass last year’s total.
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With 16 points from 13 games, Gujarat can comfortably qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs by winning their final league match against the Chennai Super Kings. A victory guarantees progression and keeps them in contention for a top 2 finish. Even if they lose, their healthy +0.400 net run rate should see them through.
