Same intensity every game, one of Sai Sudharsan's biggest strengths – Gill

There were concerns when Gujarat Titans revealed Jos Buttler would bat at No. 3. The Titans instead elevated Sai Sudharsan alongside captain Shubman Gill, a decision that has become one of the defining features of their success.

Last year, they amassed 912 partnership runs at a run rate of 9.56. This season, they have raised the tempo to 10.56 while retaining remarkable consistency, reaching 886 runs together. Another 54-run stand in Sunday's final would take them past the all-time IPL record set by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers during their 2016 campaign.

Like Kohli and de Villiers before them, Gill believes a strong personal equation underpins their success.

"We spend a lot of time in the IPL together on and off the field, and in the Test team as well. There are things we talk about cricket and outside of cricket. Many players in our team also play for the country. It's very important to know each other well to have a great equation that translates to on-field performances."

Gill also credited Sudharsan's unwavering intensity and discipline away from the game. Before his Orange Cap-winning exploits last season, Sudharsan was advised by GT management to conserve energy through the campaign. Long net sessions are restricted to matchday minus two, but yoga, meditation and extensive visualisation occupy much of his time on the eve of games.

"I think in a tournament like IPL, when I first started playing, one of the challenges was to keep playing matches at the same intensity. That is one of his biggest strengths. There could be days where mentally or physically you don't feel up to the mark, but to have the same intensity in all matches and be consistent in your preparation and routine is not easy. He is very consistent in his routines and life outside of cricket, which makes him consistent on the field as well."

While the IPL has become associated with towering sixes and rising totals, Gill believes many batting principles remain intact. The ability to find gaps, rotate strike and minimise dot balls continues to separate good batting sides from great ones.

"Sometimes the wicket tends to be on the slower side. It's important to hit the gaps and run well because that is the foundation of any format. The team that plays fewer dot balls has a better chance of getting a better score. The T20 game has evolved, you see bigger scores, but the wickets have also gone a little flatter…"

Gill pointed to changing scheduling dynamics and fresher surfaces as a factor behind high-scoring matches.

"Before the two new teams (GT and LSG added in 2022), there used to be eight teams playing on similar wickets. In the second half of the IPL, we used to see 150, 160, 140 scores a lot more, at Eden Gardens and even in Bombay. Now, because at least four or five times a season we get a five-day or seven-day break, that gives the chance to play on fresh, better wickets. Cricket is the same – it's all about the kind of wickets and grounds we play on. If we play on challenging wickets, the scores will be similar, maybe 5-10 runs difference here and there."

Gill's Powerplay strike rate has jumped from 143.14 last season to 159.20 this year. The 26-year-old, who now captains India in Tests and ODIs but lost his place in the T20I side, reiterated his desire to keep evolving.

"I'd be happy to play if I get picked for the T20 team, but I want to keep working on my game regardless of format. I want to get better as a T20 batsman, ODI batsman, Test batsman. Cricket is such a game you can never really get perfect, but you can strive for it and that's what I try to do."

For now, his attention is on winning a second IPL title and first as captain. Gujarat head into the final after a demanding stretch from Dharamsala to Mullanpur to Ahmedabad in five days. While RCB have enjoyed a longer break, Gill played down the significance.

"Dharamshala is a difficult venue to get to and travel from, but finals are all about mental strength. The team that is mentally up for the challenge is the one that is going to win."

Back at their home venue for the title decider, Gill views Ahmedabad as an advantage.

"I don't really get burden of expectations. There are advantages. There's familiarity – we know the wicket, we know the ground, we know what kind of cricket we need to play to win. In that context, I see it as an advantage because there's a little bit of familiarity."