IPL: Sai Sudharsan writes history, breaks Chris Gayle’s 13-year record

New Delhi: Continuing his meteoric rise in the IPL, Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan once again rewrote records – this time surpassing Chris Gayle to become the highest scorer after 50 games in the history of the tournament.The 24-year-old reached the milestone in GT’s last game win over Kings XI Punjab at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, scoring 57 goals from 41 balls. In the process, Sudarsan took his score to 2178 runs in his first 50 IPL innings, surpassing Gayle’s long-standing record of 2061 runs. This record stood for 13 years, dating back to when Sudharsan was just 11 years old.Mitchell Marsh finished third on the elite list with 1933 runs after 50 innings, underlining Sudharsan’s monumental achievement in a league known for its fierce competition.Fastest to reach 2000 – another Gaelic record broken even earlierThis is not the first time that Sudarsan has replaced Gayle this season. Until recently, the elegant left-hand bowler became the fastest batsman to reach 2,000 innings in IPL history, achieving the milestone in just 47 innings, one less than Gayle’s 48 innings. Marsh followed with 52 innings.Sudarsan’s record-breaking spree began earlier this season when he scored a stunning 58-ball 100 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, highlighting his consistency and ability to dominate the attack in all conditions.Despite a slow start to IPL 2026 – scoring just 50 runs in the first six games, Sudarsan has bounced back strongly, scoring three 50-plus runs in the last four innings, including that game-defining century.His overall statistics are outstanding: Since his debut in 2022, Gujarat Titans has scored 2178 runs in 50 innings at an average of 47.34 and a strike rate of 148.GT’s bowlers laid the foundation as Sudharsan dominated the chase against Punjab Kings. Jason Holder picked up four wickets while Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada picked up two wickets each.Punjab Kings rescued a fighting half-century from Suryansh Shedge to post 163/9, but Sudharsan was once again at the heart of history as Gujarat Titans equalized off the penultimate ball to seal a thrilling victory.