6 min readUpdated: Apr 26, 2026 08:28 PM IST
SYNOPSIS: On a tacky surface where batsmen struggled for momentum, B Sai Sudharsan’s 46-ball 87 gives Gujarat Titans win at Chepauk
A day after two placid surfaces produced high-scoring contests in Delhi and Jaipur, Chennai offered a contrasting pitch for the first afternoon fixture at the MA Chidambaram Stadium this season. In a format where pitches generally don’t create an overbearing impact, there are exceptions. With the mercury rising, the groundstaff had the natural elements to work around for there was this genuine fear of the pitch breaking up under the heat.
On the eve of the game, until the shadows lengthened, it was under covers – a clear tell tale of the groundstaff preparing for the worst. The heat factor meant, there was considerable watering too. So what they threw up was a tacky pitch, which the Gujarat Titans pacers led by Kagiso Rabada used to good effect reducing Chennai Super Kings to 26/3 inside the five overs.
With that sort of a start, and only 43/4 in the first 10 overs, they did well to mange 158/7 with Ruturaj Gaikwad remaining unbeaten on 74 off 60. The chase needed a bit of grinding than flamboyance, which Gujarat managed successfully with 8 wickets in hand and 20 balls to spare.
Muddled selection
Of all the right boxes that Chennai have ticked in their heydays, the top most was how they used to keep it simple. When it came to selection, they largely employed horses for courses policy. But those heydays are far behind now, and what remains is just traces here and there. Having posted a thumping win at the Wankhede, a win against a struggling Gujarat would have given them further impetus to have a good shot at finishing in the top four. Instead, they once again chose to disturb the combination.
Sanju Samson of Chennai Super Kings and Ruturaj Gaikwad of Chennai Super Kings during the Match 37 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India, on April 26, 2026. Photo by Vipin Pawar / CREIMAS for IPL
They brought in Urvil Patel instead of Sarfaraz Khan, a batsman who has provided the right intent so far. On Sunday, coming in at No 3 after Sanju Samson departed, Urvil was done in by a nasty bouncer from Rabada. Having jumped down the track and smash-driven the previous delivery, which infuriated the South African, Urvil chose to repeat it again. And Rabada went for the kill. That move meant, CSK had to bring in Sarfaraz as an Impact Player, which left them a bowler short.
It is again, not the first time they have been forced to bring an Impact Player inside the powerplay overs. It happened in Guwahati in their opening game and now at a critical juncture. And Sarfaraz’s innings lasted just one delivery. The silence at Chepauk spoke a thousand words. The extra-player which teams use to their advantage lost here inside five overs.
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With that sort of a start on a pitch where the pacers enjoyed the bounce, Chennai struggled to inject any sort of momentum into their innings. Dewald Brevis and Gaikwad saw through a phase where they went without a boundary for 31 deliveries as Gujarat choked them. There were 38 dot deliveries in the first 10 overs alone and 66 overall. That Rashid Khan was not even handed the ball till the 15th over showed how comfortable Gujarat were.
More than half the innings ending up in dot deliveries meant, the room for a comeback was limited. Under the circumstances, Gaikwad did well, anchoring the innings for a large part in the company of Shivam Dube. Batting slightly in a new role this season as a finisher, he hasn’t been able to find the range. He made 22 on the day, but those included three drops. With Gaikwad waging a lone battle, Kartik Sharma and Jamie Overton chipped in with cameos that lifted CSK to 158/7.
Home boy takes centre stage
This was a chase that was tailormade for Gujarat. Sans no need to flex their muscles consistently, they paced their innings well. B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are known to play risk-free cricket at the top and it is what Gujarat needed here as they once again set the base, putting on 58 for the first wicket. With the pitch now behaving better than the first innings, all that was required from them was to play sensible cricket, take calculated risks and keep the required run-rate in check. On surfaces where in-coming batsmen might need a bit of time to get going, Sai Sudharsan took the onus of finishing the job.
Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans celebrates after scoring a fifty during the Match 37 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, India, on April 26, 2026.
Coming into the match on the back of a century in Bengaluru on Friday, his innings here was totally characteristic to his batsmanship. When he went for the big shots, he went with full intent and not hesitating one bit. And when Jos Buttler came in, he ensured the strike was rotated effortlessly with some exceptional running between the wickets in humid conditions. He hit seven sixes on the evening, with three coming off against Akeal Hosein, a match-up he aced comfortably. Those sixes meant Gujarat were never really under any pressure.
