This marks the Titans' third IPL final appearance in five seasons.

The Titans secured their place in the final after successfully chasing 215 runs against the Rajasthan Royals, powered by a 167-run opening stand between Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Gill contributed an aggressive century, while Sai Sudharsan provided a composed half-century, reinforcing their vital roles within the squad.

Reflecting on their partnership, Solanki said, “I thought all of their qualities were on display today. And it’s been a good number of years that that partnership has been flourishing.” He added, “It is on the back of a lot of hard work. I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is as far as his batting is concerned. He’s an exceptional young man. And sometimes you have to realise he’s still a young man. And be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.”

Praising Sai Sudharsan's development, Solanki stated, “Sai is no less. He might be a little younger in his journey, but you can see that he takes a fine example from Shubman and understands that actually his skills are what you and I might view as batsmanship, the sort of traditional form of batting.” He also commented, “But there is no doubt in my mind that if a situation requires them to up the run rate and the wicket actually suits them playing that way, then they can adapt. And I think that’s their finest quality, their ability to adapt, given any sort of situation, given any wicket, given any opposition. That, along with the fact that they have an immense appetite for run-scoring. Good habits to have.”

Since forming their partnership in 2022, Gill and Sai Sudharsan have amassed 2,944 runs together, making them one of the most successful opening pairs in IPL history, second only to AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Sai Sudharsan, who won the Orange Cap last season with 759 runs, has maintained his strong form this year, while Gill remains among the top run-scorers.

Solanki attributed Sai Sudharsan's rise to his dedication and preparation, saying, “You go back to his work ethic, it’s second to none. From the moment that he joined us, you could see he didn’t obviously make a start straightaway – it was very evident that he was an exceptional talent.” He continued, “There are a lot of talented people, but perhaps some don’t have the same work ethic that he does. He’s almost somebody that we have to hold back, which is a great quality. He is what I would call a student of the game. He studies the game, he studies his opposition, so he effectively leaves no stone unturned in terms of his preparation. And he’s been getting better and better, understanding his game a little bit better.”

Regarding Gill, who faced scrutiny after losing his place in India’s T20I setup ahead of the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Solanki said, “It was exactly as it has been throughout the five years that he’s been a part of this group; he was preparing exactly as he has done before.” He added, “He knows how to deal with all of those matters – success, failure, professional sport is about dealing with exactly that. He was very measured when he arrived in our camp; his preparation has been on point as it always is, regardless of format.”

Gill's 104 runs off 53 balls against Rajasthan Royals exemplified this mindset, helping Gujarat Titans secure their place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, to be held in Ahmedabad. With both Gill and Sai Sudharsan among the tournament’s leading scorers, the Titans will rely on their dependable opening duo as they pursue a second IPL title.