GT vs CSK Preview: Can Chennai keep their stuttering hopes alive in Ahmedabad?

For Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad brings back a lot of good memories. In a couple of rainy nights in 2023, they beat Gujarat Titans to win their fifth title. It almost looked like they were going to race ahead of the others when it came to trophies and establishing their dynasty.

But CSK are now finding that fate is not in their hands at the moment. After a poor start, losing their first three matches, the five-time IPL champions were able to find their mojo and went on a run that brought them closer to the play-off contention.

This was fueled by the strength of their batting and the form of the bowlers, particularly Jamie Overton and others. But just when Chennai looked to get away from the rest, injuries came and pulled them back. This is what happened to Overton, who was forced to return home with an injury. This messed up their plans and the combination even more, leading to two defeats in a row.

The last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad has now left them in a very precarious place. Even after a win, their progress to the playoffs is not guaranteed. The kings of Rajasthan and the kings of Punjab can still surpass them. Even Delhi Capitals can catch them at 14 points as well.

A loss means an outright knockout and a third season of missing the playoffs. They won’t have the buzz around MS Dhoni who returned home to Ranchi before the last league game.

For Gujarat Titans, their qualification was sealed by CSK’s loss to SRH and Shubman Gill would be pleased with a lot of things from his side. With the bat, Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have again been the main aggregators, with Washington Sundar playing a big role at No.4.

The bowling was phenomenal in the power-over phase, with Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj usually bowling their first three overs during that time.

The form of Rashid Khan and Prasidh Krishna, who was always between the wickets, helped. But they have to fine-tune a few things before the playoffs.

Also, a win will boost their chances of finishing in the top two and playing in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala. So they get a chance to have two cracks at reaching the finals even if they lose and escape the heat that reigns in the north.

So, with plenty on both sides, we can expect a scintillating clash under the bright lights of the Narendra Modi Stadium.

WHAT’S UP WITH RUTURAJ Bad?

With the prospect of seeing Sanja Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top becoming a reality, CSK fans were expecting a big shift for them after their opening season failure.

While Samson was quick to get out of the blocks, he scored 477 runs from 13 matches with two hundreds to his credit. He has a strike-rate of 166.20 and an average of 47.7.

But at the same time, Ruturaj scored 321 runs from 13 matches at an average of 29.18 and a strike rate of 120.67. He managed only 28 boundaries and 10 sixes in the same period. For context, Finn Allen smoked 10 highs during his match against GT.

Arguably the knock that summed up Chennai’s captaincy struggles was his outing against SRH. He scored 15 runs from 21 balls, all of which came via singles.

While Stephen Fleming and the CSK management stand firmly behind their captain, he must let the bat do the talking on Thursday.

In the three matches Ruturaj has played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, he has scored 118 runs with a top score of 92. There is hope, but execution will be key for the Chennai skipper.

GT LOOK TO TIGHTEN UP

GT has very few areas that need to be tightened up as they head into the playoffs. They were versatile for most of the season.

But KKR’s game looked like an anomaly. Crucial catches were dropped and allowed KKR to take them down at the Eden Gardens.

Captain Gill was not happy about this and even commented on the fact.

Another area seems to be a lack of firepower in the middle. Apart from Gill, Sudharsan, Buttler and Sundar to some extent, the rest of the batsmen struggled.

Jason Holder can hit the long ball, but his entry point is still something GT hasn’t worked out. He has rotated between No. 5 and No. 7, but they need to find a solid spot for him.

Not using the holder in KKR’s game early on was a mystery to many, but it’s a game they can push through and utilize the all-round power of the batting a lot more.

GT VS CSK: TEAM NEWS

The big news for CSK is that Dhoni will not be with the team for the clash with GT. They filled the Overton void a bit with Spencer Johnson.

They may have been tempted to bring back Sarfaraz Khan back into the mix in place of Prashant Veer as the 14 crore purchase was not used with the ball and Akeal Hosein operating as the lead left arm.

It’s a chance for GT to test their strength on the bench a bit and this could be a chance for Gurnoor Brar to step up. He has been drafted into the Indian squad for the Afghanistan series and this could be a chance for him to make his mark in GT.

GT VS CSK: HEAD-TO-HEAD

GT and CSK played nine matches with Gujarat leading the battle 5-4. Their last win came earlier in the season when they destroyed Chennai in Chepauk.

AHMEDABAD WEATHER AND COURSE CONDITIONS

It is expected to be a very hot day in Ahmedabad, with the temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius at the time of the toss. Although it will cool down a bit, the lack of humidity means there will be no dew during the match.

The interesting thing about Ahmedabad this season was the fact that the tossing was not the deciding factor. The teams batting first and second have won three games so far.

While the trend has always been to chase the IPL, Ahmedabad could be one reason it won’t matter at all.

GT VS CSK: PREDICTED PLAYING XIS

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar. Striker: Rahul Tewatia

Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan/Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson. Striker: Mukul Choudhary.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

21 May 2026 10:47 IST