Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to bowl first in the IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. With CSK’s qualification hopes on the line in their final group-stage outing, Gaikwad reshuffled the side with two key swaps. Gujarat, meanwhile, made a single change as they entered the game already assured of a playoff berth.
Key takeaways
- Ruturaj Gaikwad opted to field after winning the toss at Ahmedabad.
- CSK made two alterations: Gurjapneet Singh came in for Akeal Hosein, while Matthew Short replaced Prashant Veer.
- Prasidh Krishna was Gujarat’s only change, selected for Sai Kishore.
- CSK framed the decision as a chance to use early pace and bounce, aiming to apply pressure from the outset.
- Gujarat Titans entered the match with qualification already confirmed for the playoffs.
CSK make two changes ahead of a must-win game
In a match described as critical for CSK—both because it was a must-win encounter and because it was their last group-stage fixture—Ruturaj Gaikwad adjusted the composition of the playing XI. Gurjapneet Singh was named in place of Akeal Hosein, while Matthew Short was brought into the XI to take the spot of Prashant Veer.
Veer, who was purchased by CSK for Rs 14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction, was left out for this decisive contest. Explaining the tactical thinking behind bowling first, Gaikwad pointed to the expected characteristics of the surface and the need to make early inroads.
“We’re gonna bowl first. Obviously there is some pace and bounce in the pitch and we want to exploit it early on. So that’s the only reason we are bowling first,” Gaikwad said. He added that the two changes were driven by the conditions and team balance: “We’ve got a couple of changes. Obviously, according to the conditions, Akeal misses out unfortunately. And Gurjapneet comes in. And we got Matt Short playing in place of Prashant Veer.”
Gaikwad also spoke about CSK’s approach as they regrouped for the important game, emphasizing simplicity and execution. “It is about keeping it simple and trusting the process,” he said. “I think even the last game we gave a good fight and obviously didn’t get the result that we wanted, but it is all about coming up and turning up and getting that W at the end of the day.” He concluded by stressing the need to stay straightforward in their planning: “We want to make sure that we keep it really simple and turn it up today.”
Gujarat Titans keep it steady with one alteration
Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, opted for minimal disruption to their lineup. Gill made only one change to the XI, bringing in Prasidh Krishna and dropping Sai Kishore. Gujarat, having already secured their place in the playoffs, were able to approach the match with greater clarity of their tournament trajectory.
Gill said he and his team had considered bowling first as well, but focused on sustaining the right intensity after the toss decision. “We wanted to bowl first too, but not much due here. We have one change. Prasidh comes in place of Sai Kishore. Hopefully we keep our intensity with the ball,” Gill remarked.
He also underlined that the job was still unfinished and that Gujarat would look for momentum heading into the next phase of the competition. “The job is not done and hopefully three good games from here,” Gill added.
Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Subs
Gujarat Titans Impact Subs: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra
Chennai Super Kings Impact Subs: Kartik Sharma, Macneil Noronha, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldip Yadav, Aman Khan
