Gujarat Titans, boasting two strong Orange Cap contenders, fell flat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the much-awaited Qualifier 1 on Tuesday in Dharamshala, where the RCB registered a resounding 92-run win, thanks to a blitzkrieg by the defending champions’ skipper Rajat Patidar. Both the GT openers, Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill, departed cheaply for 14 and 2 on the important night. With 652 and 618 runs to their tally, Sudharsan and Gill’s dismissals put pressure on the GT batting line-up that struggled to get going, having been tasked to chase a daunting 255.
However, it was Sudharsan’s early wicket that triggered the collapse of the Gujarat Titans, and it also remained the most bizarre dismissal of the night or perhaps the entire
season. Markedly, Sudharsan’s hit-wicket against RCB put him in a league of his own, albeit for all the wrong reasons.
Sai Sudharsan’s Freak Wicket
It was only the 15th delivery of the run chase when Gujarat Titans had all their wickets intact. It was then that Sudharsan tried to stroke off Jacob Duffy and began scrambling for a single. Unbeknownst to him, the bat was no longer in his grip as it slipped behind him and plopped onto the stumps. When the LED bails lit up, viewers and the GT batter learned collectively what had just happened. His team needed a blazing start to set a strong foundation in a steep run chase, but Sudharsan was out hit wicket, and it was not at all a pretty sight, at least for the batter.
Sai Sudharsan-ಗೆ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲೇ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ದುರಾದೃಷ್ಟಕರ Dismissal! 😲💔
ಕೈಯಿಂದ ಬ್ಯಾಟ್ ಜಾರಿ ವಿಕೆಟ್ಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದ ಆ ಶಾಕಿಂಗ್ ಕ್ಷಣ ಇಲ್ಲಿದೆ ನೋಡಿ!👀
ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ | #TATAIPL 2026, Qualifier 1 👉 #RCBvsGT | LIVE NOW | ನಿಮ್ಮ Star Sports ಕನ್ನಡ & JioHotstar ನಲ್ಲಿ. pic.twitter.com/GJv0YawDvd
— Star Sports Kannada (@StarSportsKan) May 26, 2026
Not The First Time…
Remarkably, despite hit wicket being a rare dismissal in the sport of cricket, Sudharsan has experienced the strange way to get out not once but twice in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
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During IPL 2022, the GT opener met a similar fate during a nail-biting encounter against the Mumbai Indians. However, that match too was overshadowed by the unique way Sudharsan had discovered to get himself undone.
The incident unfolded during the 16th over when the Gujarat Titans needed 40 off 25 balls. Kieron Pollard, armed with the ball, delivered a slower one, and the batter lost his balance. So much so that his bat hit the stumps and he was out hit wicket. Sudharsan managed 14 off 11 balls as he was struggling to get the runs going after GT had a superb start with the openers Wriddhiman Saha and Gill taking them to 106/0. GT eventually fell short of the MI target.
The Curse Of 14 & Hit Wicket
On both occasions, Sudharsan was batting at 14 when he endured the hit-wicket dismissal. If you thought that unlucky, get this, the GT batter now holds a unique record to his name: Sudharsan is now the only batter in the illustrious history of IPL to have been dismissed twice out hit wicket.
Who Else Has Been Out Hit Wicket In IPL?
Thankfully for Sudharsan, several batters in the IPL pool have suffered the fate of falling at least once in a strange manner as him.
2026
Sai Sudharsan (GT) dismissed by Jacob Duffy (RCB)
2025
Kusal Mendis (GT) dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah (MI)
Krunal Pandya (RCB) dismissed by Pat Cummins (SRH)
Abhinav Manohar (SRH) dismissed by Akash Madhwal (MI)
2023
Ayush Badoni (LSG) dismissed by Wayne Parnell (RCB)
2022
Sai Sudharsan (GT) dismissed by Kieron Pollard (MI)
2021
Jonny Bairstow (SRH) dismissed by Krunal Pandya (MI)
2020
Rashid Khan (SRH) dismissed by Shardul Thakur (CSK)
Hardik Pandya (MI) dismissed by Andre Russell (KKR)
2019
Riyan Parag (RR) dismissed by Andre Russell (KKR)
2017
Sheldon Jackson (KKR) dismissed by Washington Sundar (RPS)
2016
David Warner (SRH) dismissed by Axar Patel (PBKS)
Deepak Hooda (SRH) dismissed by Nathan Coulter-Nile (DC)
Yuvraj Singh (SRH) dismissed by Mitchell McClenaghan (MI)
2012
Saurabh Tiwary (RCB) dismissed by Harbhajan Singh (MI)
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK) dismissed by Dale Steyn (DC)
2009
Swapnil Asnodkar (RR) dismissed by Albie Morkel (CSK)
2008
Misbah-ul-Haq (RCB) dismissed by S. Sreesanth (PBKS)
Musavir Khote (MI) dismissed by S. Sreesanth (PBKS)
