A struggling Chennai Super Kings failed to build on their dominant win over Mumbai Indians earlier in the week, crumbling at home against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, April 26.
Under the blazing Chennai sun at MA Chidambaram Stadium, CSK were outplayed by a determined GT unit eager to snap their losing streak. Things fell into place early for Gujarat after skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl—an unconventional call in a day game. The move appeared influenced by extra watering on the pitch, aimed at preventing excessive drying in the heat.
That gamble paid off instantly. The surface behaved unpredictably, offering variable bounce and a two-paced nature that made strokeplay difficult. GT’s bowlers adjusted smartly, shifting from fuller lengths to hard-to-read good-length deliveries that either held up or skidded through.
The confusion proved costly for CSK, who slumped to 28/3 in the powerplay, losing Sanju Samson, Sarfaraz Khan and Urvil Patel cheaply. Pace spearheads Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj exploited the moisture brilliantly, before spinner Manav Suthar removed Dewald Brevis with a mistimed slog.
Amid the chaos, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad battled hard on a treacherous pitch. His slow start—18 off 27 balls—reflected the surface rather than intent, with deliveries from the same length producing drastically different behavior.
CSK’s struggles were summed up by a record: they took 12 overs to reach 50, the slowest in IPL history. A 59-run stand between Gaikwad and Shivam Dube provided some resistance, aided by a rare lapse in GT’s fielding that saw Jos Buttler and Rashid Khan drop chances.
Despite the hiccups, CSK dragged themselves to 158/6, powered by Gaikwad’s gritty unbeaten 74 off 60 balls. However, the game shifted decisively at the innings break. Gujarat used the heavy roller, flattening the pitch and neutralising its uneven bounce.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan capitalised with a fluent start, adding 55 in the powerplay. Though Gill fell to a sharp stumping by Samson, Sudharsan remained unfazed, anchoring the chase with a composed 87 off 46 balls.
Buttler struggled at the other end as the pitch began to slow again, but CSK’s modest total offered little resistance. GT cruised home in 16.4 overs, comfortably ending their two-match skid.
The result keeps Gujarat firmly in the playoff race, while CSK are left rethinking their home advantage—on a pitch that turned from unpredictable to manageable in a matter of overs.
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