Bengaluru, April 24 (IANS) Sai Sudharsan made Indian Premier League (IPL) history by becoming the fastest batter to reach 2,000 runs, achieving this milestone in just 47 innings during the Gujarat Titans’ game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru on Friday.

The left-hander surpassed Chris Gayle, who previously held the record by reaching the mark in 48 innings. Sudharsan now has over 2,000 runs from 47 matches with an impressive average and strike rate, showing his consistency at the top of the order with several fifties and centuries.

Interestingly, this milestone comes in what has been a modest IPL 2026 season for Sudharsan. He scored only 135 runs in his first six innings, including just one fifty against the Rajasthan Royals, and had trouble converting good starts in other games.

He became only the second player, after Shubman Gill, to hit this milestone for the franchise. At the end of nine overs, he was batting 85 off 49 balls and led the innings with nine fours and four sixes. The left-hander also became one of the fastest players to reach this mark in terms of balls faced, totalling 1,361. He joined an elite group that includes Abhishek Sharma, Virender Sehwag, and Rishabh Pant, highlighting his consistency and impact.

His performance reflects Gujarat’s wider batting problems. The middle order, consisting of Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, and Rahul Tewatia, has also struggled for consistency, which puts extra pressure on Sudharsan, captain Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is nearing another significant milestone. The RCB star, already the highest run-scorer in IPL history, now needs just 92 runs to become the first player to reach 9,000 IPL runs, adding another potential landmark to the competition.

--IANS

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