Shubman Gill is IPL 2026's best captain: E India star after GT crush CSK

India cricketer Mohammed Kaif believes Shubman Gill has emerged as the best captain of IPL 2026 after Gujarat Titans sealed a crushing win over Chennai Super Kings to strengthen their top-two finish hopes ahead of the playoffs. Kaif praised Gill’s leadership style, tactical clarity and the way he has managed Gujarat’s bowling attack throughout the season. Gill once again led from the front with the bat on Thursday, smashing 64 off 37 balls as Gujarat Titans piled up a massive 229 against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. The GT skipper now has 616 runs from 13 matches this season and continues to combine captaincy with elite batting consistency. Read Full Story IPL 2026, GT VS CSK: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD Gujarat eventually crushed CSK by 89 runs to bounce back strongly after their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders. Sai Sudharsan’s 84, Gill’s fluent knock and Jos Buttler’s explosive 57 powered GT to a huge first-innings total before the bowlers dismantled Chennai for just 140 in 13.4 overs. The defeat officially ended CSK’s IPL 2026 campaign as they finished with 12 points from 14 matches. It also marked the third straight season where Chennai failed to qualify for the playoffs. After the match, Kaif took to X and strongly backed Gill amid the constant debate around his leadership credentials in T20 cricket. “For me Shubman Gill is this IPL's best captain. The sign of a great captain is how he uses his bowlers. His bowlers have taken 108 wickets in 14 games,” Kaif posted. “RCB, PBKS, SRH, RR, CSK have been dismissed by GT bowlers, Gill asks his bowlers to stick to Test match line and length. Gill plays correct cricket - has great batting technique and knows how to use his bowlers.” Gill’s captaincy has remained under heavy scrutiny despite Gujarat’s strong campaign, especially after he was removed as India’s T20I vice-captain and overlooked for India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning squad. But IPL 2026 has been a strong response from the Gujarat captain both as a leader and batter. Apart from becoming only the third captain after David Warner and KL Rahul to score 600-plus runs in consecutive IPL seasons, Gill also entered an elite list alongside Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar with multiple 500-run IPL seasons as captain. The knock against CSK also made him the seventh-fastest batter to complete 6000 T20 runs. Speaking after the match, Gill said Gujarat’s focus remains on maintaining consistency rather than searching for anything extra heading into the playoffs. “It is about keeping up with the good things and deliver game after game with the same impact. We don't need to add anything more. But if we can continue doing what we are doing, it will hold us in good space,” Gill said. Gill also admitted memories of GT’s collapse against the same opposition last season were still fresh in his mind. “After 12 games, we were number one in the last season. We lost the last two games. We played the last game against the same opposition. I think they scored 230-odd and we got bundled out for 120 or something. So, there were some flashbacks coming into this game,” he added. HOW HAS SHUBMAN GILL'S GT CAPTAINCY BEEN IN IPL 2026? Shubman Gill’s second full season as Gujarat Titans captain has quietly turned into one of the strongest leadership campaigns of IPL 2026. GT have looked one of the most balanced sides in the tournament and much of that has come from the clarity Gill has shown with his bowling rotations and tactical discipline. Gujarat’s bowling attack has repeatedly dominated oppositions by sticking to hard lengths and disciplined lines rather than constantly chasing variations. Their bowlers have now picked up 108 wickets in 14 matches, with several teams including RCB, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings getting bowled out by GT this season. Gill has also continued delivering as the batting leader at the top of the order. He has scored 616 runs at an average of 47.38 and a strike rate of 161.68 while carrying the added responsibility of captaincy. More importantly, GT have regained momentum at exactly the right time. The win over CSK marked their sixth victory in the last seven matches as they headed into the playoffs looking like one of the strongest contenders for the IPL 2026 title. IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score Ends