Gujarat Titans crushed Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday in their IPL 2026 clash, virtually sealing a top-2 finish in the playoff race.
GT piled up a formidable 229, powered by half-centuries from Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler, before skittling CSK for 140 as Mohammed Siraj, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada each claimed three wickets.
Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin believes that tit would be difficult for any team to dominate the IPL for multiple seasons in succession going forward as the standards of the league have reached an all-time high.”
“The entire IPL tournament has become much more tighter, other sides make less tactical errors, do well at the auction, control
their home ground well and are able to build tactics and strategies,” Ashwin opined.
“So, winning two or three titles in five years is not going to be easy,” he added.
Opening for the hosts, Sudharsan and Gill began in characteristic style, building a strong stand at the top.
Gill took the attacking route while Sai anchored, with the GT captain racing to his fifty in just 28 balls. The pair maintained the assault, pushing the total past 100 before the innings reached its midway stage. Sudharsan continued to accumulate steadily and brought up his fifth consecutive half-century, while Buttler joined him after Spencer Johnson dismissed Gill for a 37-ball 64 to give CSK their first breakthrough.
Sudharsan and Buttler then added 84 runs together, keeping the Chennai bowlers under relentless pressure. Sudharsan’s excellent 84 from 53 deliveries ended when Anshul Kamboj removed him, and soon after, Ruturaj Gaikwad produced a sharp piece of fielding to dismiss Rahul Tewatia for a golden duck. Washington Sundar was out to Mukesh Choudhary for 7, but Buttler finished unbeaten on 57 from just 27 balls, lifting GT to a commanding 229/4.
With the ball, GT struck early as Siraj removed Sanju Samson with the very first delivery, then dismissed Gaikwad for 16 off 6. He made it three when Urvil Patel was caught by Prasidh Krishna. Matt Short chipped in with 24 off 14 before Rabada accounted for him.
Karthik Sharma scored 19 from 15 balls but was run out by a sharp piece of fielding from opposition skipper Gill. Shiva Dube and Dewald Brevis then shared a 53-run stand, with Dube launching a blistering 47 off just 17 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes to put the GT bowlers under pressure.
However, Gill, seemingly flawless on the day, pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Dube off Rashid Khan’s bowling. Anshul Kamboj struck 19 off 8 before also falling to Rashid, who completed his three-wicket haul by removing Brevis for 8.
Rabada matched him with three wickets of his own, dismissing Noor Ahmed and Spencer Johnson for 1 and 0 respectively, as CSK were bowled out for 140 in 13.4 overs, slumping to one of their heaviest defeats.
