{"id":11393,"date":"2026-05-21T16:42:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/csk-spring-surprise-gaikwad-chooses-to-bowl-vs-gt-dhoni-absent-again"},"modified":"2026-05-21T16:42:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:42:59","slug":"csk-spring-surprise-gaikwad-chooses-to-bowl-vs-gt-dhoni-absent-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/csk-spring-surprise-gaikwad-chooses-to-bowl-vs-gt-dhoni-absent-again","title":{"rendered":"CSK Spring Surprise: Gaikwad Chooses to Bowl vs GT, Dhoni Absent Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have given chances to Gurjapneet Singh and Matthew Short with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad winning the toss and choosing to bowl first against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match 66 of the IPL 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. CSK head into their last league match with the pressure of knowing that any loss will likely end their playoff pursuit, particularly as injuries have kept them from getting consistent traction during the season. It is also a notable milestone: for the first time in IPL history, MS Dhoni has not featured in any of the league-stage games.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>CSK made two changes for the game, bringing in Gurjapneet Singh and Matthew Short.<\/li>\n<li>Gaikwad opted to bowl first after winning the toss at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.<\/li>\n<li>CSK\u2019s final league outing is a must-win in terms of keeping their playoff hopes alive.<\/li>\n<li>GT welcomed a bowling-innings change, with Prasidh Krishna coming in for R Sai Kishore.<\/li>\n<li>Graeme Swann and Aaron Finch highlighted a red-soil surface with short square boundaries and a longer straight boundary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>CSK\u2019s team news and the captain\u2019s thinking<\/h2>\n<p>After securing the toss, Gaikwad confirmed that Gurjapneet and Short are in the playing XI, replacing Akeal Hosein and Prashant Veer. The CSK captain framed the decision around the conditions, saying they are looking to make use of early movement and life in the bowling. He stressed that the team wants to stick to a straightforward plan and \u201cturn it around,\u201d adding that they have not achieved the desired results so far.<\/p>\n<p>CSK\u2019s situation comes with added urgency: although a win would not automatically guarantee qualification to the top four, their route forward depends heavily on how other fixtures unfold. The franchise\u2019s campaign has been disrupted by injuries, leaving them with only slim mathematical possibilities heading into this match.<\/p>\n<h2>GT\u2019s approach and pitch expectations<\/h2>\n<p>For Gujarat Titans, the clash is an important step as they look to maintain momentum ahead of the playoffs. A victory over CSK would not only strengthen their position in the standings but also give them a better chance to finish in the top two. GT captain Shubman Gill said they would have preferred to bowl first, but also pointed out that dew is not expected to play a major role. He emphasised the need to keep intensity high and acknowledged that CSK\u2019s opponents have had to improve their fielding standards, noting that it has not been at the required level over the last couple of seasons.<\/p>\n<p>Gill also underlined that the bowling unit has been performing well and that batting has contributed positively, arguing that all three facets\u2014bowling, batting and fielding\u2014must come together. While he referenced the importance of a qualification \u201cQ,\u201d he made it clear that the job is not finished yet and expressed hope for three more strong performances.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of personnel for GT, Gill said pacer Prasidh Krishna will replace R Sai Kishore in their XI for the bowling innings.<\/p>\n<p>The pitch report, delivered by Graeme Swann and Aaron Finch, suggested Thursday\u2019s match will be played on a red-soil track. They forecast square boundaries at 62 and 70 metres, with the straight boundary set at 72 metres. Both analysts felt that the presence of green grass indicates the surface should still offer enough pace, making it a wicket expected to suit batting as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have given chances to Gurjapneet Singh and Matthew Short with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad winning the toss and choosing to bowl first&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"CSK vs GT IPL 2026: Gaikwad Opts to Bowl First","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"CSK vs GT IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad bowls first after the toss, with Dhoni absent again\u2014CSK chase a crucial win at Ahmedabad.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO 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