Chennai Super Kings have been officially eliminated from IPL 2026, extending a worrying run of three straight seasons in which they failed to finish inside the top four. The loss also marked the end of a campaign that began with promise after CSK’s last title triumph in 2023—their fifth overall at the time—yet they could not translate experience into a playoff berth this year. On the night, Gujarat Titans delivered the kind of performance that has defined their season: a prolific top order and ruthless Powerplay bowling, sealing a dominant 89-run win and keeping their momentum firmly on track.
Key takeaways
- CSK’s IPL 2026 campaign ends with elimination after three consecutive seasons missing the playoffs.
- Gujarat Titans won by 89 runs, powered by batting strength in the first innings and control early with the ball.
- The win pushed GT’s Net Run Rate from 0.400 to +0.695, giving them a major boost toward a top-two finish.
- Shubman Gill reached a landmark 6,000 T20 runs before turning 27, while thriving in the Powerplay.
- Sai Sudharsan’s 84 and Jos Buttler’s finishing spell helped GT post 229/4.
- Rashid Khan’s late overs wrapped up CSK’s chase, who were dismissed for 140 in 13.4 overs.
Match summary: GT set it up, CSK never recovered
Gujarat Titans posted 229/4 in their 20 overs, with Sai Sudharsan top-scoring on 84 off 53 and Shubman Gill contributing 64 off 37. Jos Buttler also played a major role in the late acceleration, striking 57 off just 27 balls. For CSK, Gurjapneet Singh produced a tidy spell, finishing with figures of 0-31.
In response, Chennai Super Kings were restricted to 140 all out in 13.4 overs. Shivam Dube’s 47 off 17 stood out as the quickest route to runs, but Mohammed Siraj (3-26) and Rashid Khan (3-18) ensured the chase collapsed well before CSK could build any meaningful momentum.
Gill’s Powerplay spark and the middle-overs push
Shubman Gill, leading from the front for Gujarat, became one of only four players to reach 6,000 T20 runs prior to his 27th birthday. However, the bigger story was how he began the innings in the Powerplay—smashing 35 from 18 balls. The contrast with his opening partner was stark: the other batter managed only 21 runs from the remaining 18 Powerplay deliveries, underlining how much Gill’s acceleration changed the tempo.
His growth from earlier seasons was evident too. Even in Gill’s orange-cap campaign in 2023, his strike rate in his first 10-ball phase was 135.44. This year, that figure climbed dramatically to 166.94. Gill’s attacking style was shaped by how quickly he moved outside his crease, used lateral footwork to create room, and opened up the off-side to find boundaries.
Gill reached a half-century in 23 balls and got there with two sixes against Noor Ahmad. He was on 51 when CSK nearly made a breakthrough through a caught-behind appeal—after Gill nicked an attempted pull off Gurjapneet Singh—but CSK failed to review, allowing him to survive and maintain the pressure on the bowling side.
Sudharsan then stepped up through the middle. After making 24 off 22, he launched himself against Anshul Kamboj, landing a six and then adding another boundary when a misfield gifted him a four. As Noor Ahmad conceded 16 in an over, Ruturaj Gaikwad tried to squeeze an extra over out of Shivam Dube, but that plan backfired—Gill struck him for three fours to break the rhythm. CSK did manage two tighter overs in the 11th and 12th through Gurjapneet and Noor, which helped protect the run rate.
Still, the 125-run stand ended in the following over when Gill mis-hit Spencer Johnson, bringing the partnership to a halt. Jos Buttler walked in and immediately signalled that the innings would finish strongly, hitting his first ball for four—an indication of both the pitch’s easing and GT’s firm situation in the chase.
Buttler’s finish: three half-centuries and a relentless total
The line “GT only have three batters” has become a running joke, yet Gujarat continued to make that idea irrelevant with the output and consistency of their core. Buttler ensured all three of the main contributors reached half-centuries, matching Gill’s pace to the mark—both reached 50 in 23 balls. Buttler got there in the 19th over, striking consecutive boundaries after Sudharsan had fallen to Anshul Kamboj.
Sudharsan’s 53-ball 84 placed him at the top of the run charts, and Buttler’s unbeaten innings—featuring four sixes—took Gujarat to 229. The total gave CSK a steep task and left little margin for error in the chase.
Siraj sets the tone in the Powerplay as CSK’s chase unravels
Alongside GT’s top-three batting, their Powerplay bowling was again a deciding factor. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Sanju Samson for a golden duck, striking with an outswinger that Samson couldn’t handle—he threw his bat at the ball without moving his feet and edged it.
Gaikwad, promoted back to number three and allowing Matt Short to open, arrived with aggression and struck two sixes. But Siraj responded with a cross-seam nip-backer that knocked Gaikwad over, shifting momentum firmly back to Gujarat.
Siraj completed his third wicket when Urvil Patel took a high pick-up chance after the ball was lofted. Kagiso Rabada then added a fourth Powerplay breakthrough by removing Short, effectively ending CSK’s challenge and their campaign on the night.
Dube’s late fireworks and Rashid’s closing overs
Shivam Dube produced one of his brighter knocks in an otherwise difficult tournament, smashing four sixes and an equal number of fours in a 17-ball 47. His innings was ended by a sharp catch from Gill. Gill also played a crucial supporting role by running Kartik Sharma out off his own direct hit, further underlining how GT’s fielding and bowling combined to suffocate CSK.
With the chase already beyond recovery, Rashid Khan ran through the lower order to confirm the big win, formalising Gujarat’s dominance from start to finish.
What happens next for Gujarat and CSK
For CSK, the conclusion brings another period of reflection—this is now a third consecutive season without a playoff appearance. Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, will watch closely as the tournament moves on, with the prospect of playing in Dharamsala a strong possibility. Their advantage in Net Run Rate over third-placed SRH gives them a clearer path toward securing a top-two finish.
