IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium delivered plenty of fireworks, but it will also be remembered for a highly unusual piece of cricketing history.
During GT’s steep chase of a mammoth 255-run target, opening batsman Sai Sudharsan fell victim to a freakish sequence of events. In doing so, he scripted an unwanted IPL milestone, becoming the first player in tournament history to be dismissed ‘hit wicket’ twice.
Slip That Shocked Dharamsala
The unusual incident unfolded on the third ball of the third over, with New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy leading RCB’s bowling attack. Sudharsan executed a sharp cut shot off a length delivery, directing the ball toward the off-side boundary. Believing he had safely executed the stroke, the young opener immediately took off for a quick single.
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However, during the intense follow-through of his swing, the bat completely slipped out of Sudharsan’s hands. As he sprinted down the track, the bat flew backward, bounced once on the turf, and forcefully crashed directly into his own stumps, dislodging the bails.
While the ball flew away, the RCB fielders erupted in celebration. A completely dumbstruck Sudharsan was forced to walk back to the dugout for just 14 runs off 9 balls, leaving his captain Shubman Gill looking on in absolute disbelief.
WATCH VIDEO
The Sai Sudharsan dismissal. 😄 pic.twitter.com/m0DaXI29aE
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 26, 2026
History of Unlucky Breaks
Sai Sudharsan is the 20th cricketer overall to be dismissed hit wicket in the IPL, but he stands entirely alone as the only player to endure this nightmare scenario twice.
Top-Order Collapse
Sudharsan’s freak dismissal set off a catastrophic chain reaction for Gujarat Titans, who were already reeling under severe scoreboard pressure.
Batting first, Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a historic, monstrous total of 254/5 – the highest score ever recorded in an IPL playoff match. The charge was led by RCB captain Rajat Patidar, who played a devastating, unbeaten knock of 93 off just 33 balls* (punctuated by 9 sixes and 5 fours) after being dropped early in his innings.
Chasing a target that required playing at absolute maximum risk, the Titans’ top order completely disintegrated under the mountain lights. Shortly after Sudharsan’s exit, skipper Shubman Gill was clean-bowled for just 2 by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Modern batting icon Jos Buttler fell cheaply as well, leaving GT gasping at a miserable 51/5 within the Powerplay – a franchise low in a knockout setting. Despite a resilient, fighting half-century from Rahul Tewatia (68), Gujarat was eventually bundled out for 162.
