Going into the second leg of this IPL, both Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans are at a crossroads. And there is a lot at stake in this crucial Sunday afternoon clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. A win will keep their top-four hopes alive, while a loss could make things very difficult.
There having been tensions and tensions so far, alarm bells are starting to ring for both sides. With three wins each from seven outings, they are stuck at the center of the mid-table confusion, separated only by net run rate. Even before a ball is bowled, both captains will be keeping an eye on the toss in the first match of the afternoon at Chepauk. With no dew factor, winning the toss could be key as both teams may opt to bat first in the scorching heat.
What adds another layer to this contest is a compelling matchup between CSK’s bowling unit against GT’s high-functioning unit. CSK’s bowlers have defended totals of 207, 192 and 212 in their recent games and against them is GT’s formidable top three – Sai Sudharsan, captain Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler – who have shouldered the lion’s share of the scoring.
CSK’s spinner duo of Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein have worked effectively together, with the West Indies spinner particularly impactful with the new ball. With a black ground surface expected, similar to the previous home match against Kolkata Knight Riders, the battle between the GT’s top three and CSK’s disciplined attack could decide the outcome. The middle-order GT’s failure to fire puts more pressure on Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has struggled for form but coach Stephen Fleming threw his weight behind his captain. “He is a young captain who is working to play his role. I know he is getting a lot of pressure from the outside, but inside he has a lot of support and is very respected within the team, and that will continue.”
Dhoni mystery continues
Meanwhile, former captain MS Dhoni returned to training hard, as he has been doing for some time. He is returning from a calf strain and while there is much hype surrounding his return on Sunday, Coach Fleming made no guarantees.
CSK vs GT: head to head
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Chennai Super Kings won: 4
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Today’s IPL Match CSK vs GT: Release Report
The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) for today’s afternoon match (3:30 pm IST) is expected to be a dry red soil surface favoring the team batting first. While the ground has seen higher-scoring games in IPL 2026, the intense heat of Chennai reaching up to 34°C is likely to slow the track down and offer significant grip and spin for the spinners as the game progresses.
CSK vs GT IPL Match: Chennai Weather Update
The weather in Chennai for today’s match (April 26, 2026) will be hot and extremely humid, with no threat of rain to disrupt play. Since this is an afternoon match starting at 3:30 pm IST, the players and fans will face the peak heat of the typical late April summer in Tamil Nadu. It is expected to range between 34°C and 36°C during the first innings. Due to the high humidity, it will feel much hotter, with a temperature of approximately 38°C to 40°C.
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CSK vs GT: Predicted XI
Chennai Super Kings (playing XI): Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh
Impact Player: Mukesh Choudhary
Gujarat Titans (playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player: Prasidh Krishna
CSK vs GT: Live Stream Details
The CSK vs GT clash will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, and the match will begin at 3:30 pm IST. The game will be telecast on Star Sports Network while the live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
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Teams for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans
Chennai Super Kings Team: Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Matt Henry, Urvil Patel, MS Dhoni, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Zakary Foulkes, Akash Madhwal, Aman Khan, Ramakrishna Ghosh
Gujarat Titans Team: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan, Luke Wood, Connor Esterhuizen, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma