diff --git a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.cc b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.cc
index 6b10678573dda..cde657debb351 100644
--- a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ namespace gandiva {
 
 RE2 RegexpMatchesHolder::starts_with_regex_(R"(\^([\w\s]+)(\.\*)?)");
 RE2 RegexpMatchesHolder::ends_with_regex_(R"((\.\*)?([\w\s]+)\$)");
+RE2 RegexpMatchesHolder::is_substr_regex_(R"((\w|\s)*)");
 
 // Short-circuit pattern matches for the two common sub cases :
 // - starts_with and ends_with.
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ const FunctionNode RegexpMatchesHolder::TryOptimize(const FunctionNode& node) {
           std::make_shared<LiteralNode>(literal_type, LiteralHolder(substr), false);
       return FunctionNode("ends_with", {node.children().at(0), suffix_node},
                           node.return_type());
+    } else if (RE2::FullMatch(pattern, is_substr_regex_)) {
+      auto substr_node =
+          std::make_shared<LiteralNode>(literal_type, LiteralHolder(pattern), false);
+      return FunctionNode("is_substr", {node.children().at(0), substr_node},
+                          node.return_type());
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.h b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.h
index d2ca892a17784..4a78e068426a5 100644
--- a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.h
+++ b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class GANDIVA_EXPORT RegexpMatchesHolder : public LikeHolder {
 
   static RE2 starts_with_regex_;  // pre-compiled pattern for matching starts_with
   static RE2 ends_with_regex_;    // pre-compiled pattern for matching ends_with
+  static RE2 is_substr_regex_;    // pre-compiled pattern for matching is_substr
 };
 }  // namespace gandiva
 
diff --git a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder_test.cc b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder_test.cc
index d2ece61a75463..2b3c1bc6871f2 100644
--- a/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder_test.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/gandiva/regexp_matches_holder_test.cc
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ TEST_F(TestRegexpMatchesHolder, TestOptimise) {
   EXPECT_EQ(fnode.descriptor()->name(), "ends_with");
   EXPECT_EQ(fnode.ToString(), "bool ends_with((string) in, (const string) xyz)");
 
+  // optimise for 'is_substr'
+  fnode = RegexpMatchesHolder::TryOptimize(BuildRegexpMatches("xyz"));
+  EXPECT_EQ(fnode.descriptor()->name(), "is_substr");
+  EXPECT_EQ(fnode.ToString(), "bool is_substr((string) in, (const string) xyz)");
+
   // no optimisation for others.
   fnode = RegexpMatchesHolder::TryOptimize(BuildRegexpMatches("^xyz$"));
   EXPECT_EQ(fnode.descriptor()->name(), "regexp_matches");
diff --git a/cpp/src/gandiva/sql_like_holder.cc b/cpp/src/gandiva/sql_like_holder.cc
index a6e0f0ccd0b2d..a5361d63a851e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/gandiva/sql_like_holder.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/gandiva/sql_like_holder.cc
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ const FunctionNode SQLLikeHolder::TryOptimize(const FunctionNode& node) {
       auto suffix = pattern.substr(2);  // skip .*
       auto suffix_node =
           std::make_shared<LiteralNode>(literal_type, LiteralHolder(suffix), false);
-        return FunctionNode("ends_with", {node.children().at(0), suffix_node},
-                            node.return_type());
+      return FunctionNode("ends_with", {node.children().at(0), suffix_node},
+                          node.return_type());
     } else if (RE2::FullMatch(pattern, is_substr_regex_)) {
       auto substr =
           pattern.substr(2, pattern.length() - 4);  // trim starting and ending .*