April 26, 2026. MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Problem one: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Their captain, their best batter, their IPL 2026 leader was ruled out that morning with an injury. Sanju Samson took over the captaincy with less than 24 hours of preparation.
Problem two: MS Dhoni was returning after missing CSK’s first 7 matches of IPL 2026 with a calf injury. His presence was supposed to stabilise the lineup. Sai Sudharsan didn’t wait to find out which problem was bigger. He hit 87 off 46 balls. Seven sixes. Four fours. GT won by 8 wickets with 20 balls to spare.
This is the complete Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans timeline. Every IPL match from 2022 to 2026, every turning point, and the pattern that explains who wins and why.
Quick Head-to-Head Summary: CSK vs GT All IPL Matches
| Season | Matches | CSK Wins | GT Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2022 | 3 (incl. Final) | 0 | 3 |
| IPL 2023 | 3 (incl. Final) | 2 | 1 |
| IPL 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| IPL 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| IPL 2026 | 1 (so far) | 0 | 1 |
| Total | ~10 | ~4 | ~6 |
GT lead the overall head-to-head. GT have been the more dominant side in this matchup, particularly at their Ahmedabad home and in the 2022 season. CSK’s best form against GT came in 2023 (winning the title) and 2025 (83-run demolition).
Venue-by-Venue Split
IPL 2026 Match 37: GT Beat CSK by 8 Wickets: Full Scorecard
April 26, 2026: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
CSK Innings: 158/7 (20 overs)
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CSK’s highest scorer was Ruturaj Gaikwad: but he wasn’t there. The next best individual performance came from whoever anchored the innings in the absence of their captain. Kagiso Rabada’s 3-wicket haul restricted CSK significantly in the bowling innings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 74: Wait, that was in a different IPL 2026 match. In Match 37 specifically, Gaikwad was ruled out Sanju Samson captained, and despite a “battling fifty” that NDTV referenced, CSK posted only 158/7.
GT Innings: 162/2 (16.4 overs)
GT won by 8 wickets with 20 balls to spare.
The Turning Point: Sai Sudharsan’s 87 Off 46
At 3 or 4 wickets in power play, GT might have struggled. But CSK’s bowling, without the tactical leadership of Gaikwad, could not create the early pressure a Chepauk track sometimes allows.
Sudharsan entered early and simply dominated. Seven sixes four of them over the mid-wicket and long-on boundary, three through the off side. A 46-ball innings that gave GT victory with 20 balls to spare chasing 159.
Bold opinion: This was not just a batting performance. It was a statement about GT’s IPL 2026 mentality. They came to Chepauk (a ground that historically favours CSK through spin and crowd pressure), batted first in the chase with clarity, and finished it with 3 overs remaining. Sudharsan’s composure under Chennai conditions was the defining quality.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Ruled Out Day-of: How It Changed CSK
Gaikwad was ruled out on the morning of April 26, less than a few hours before the match. Sanju Samson took the captaincy.
This is where things go wrong for T20 teams: captaincy changes in the same playing XI disrupt batting orders, bowling rotations, and the tactical decision-making process that takes weeks to develop. Samson is an excellent cricketer but had not captained CSK before this match. GT’s bowlers knew their plan. CSK’s batting had to reorganise around a captain playing his first match in the role.
Practical insight: Gaikwad’s 74* unbeaten in a prior IPL 2026 match shows his form was excellent before this injury. His absence at Chepauk a ground where he averages among the best was likely the single biggest reason CSK underscored on a day when a score of 175+ would have been competitive.
MS Dhoni’s Return: What It Meant
Dhoni missed CSK’s first 7 matches due to a calf strain. He returned for Match 37.
What people think: Dhoni’s return should fix CSK.
Reality: Dhoni in 2026 is a tactical asset his reading of match situations, death-over calling, and wicketkeeping competence are real. But his batting impact at No.7 or No.8 in a T20 is limited to the final 4 overs. He cannot paper over the gap left by the absence of a proper top-3 lineup anchored by Gaikwad. Against Sudharsan’s 87 and Jos Buttler opening in a T20 chase, no wicketkeeper’s presence at the death changes the outcome of the bowling innings.
IPL 2025: CSK’s 83-Run Demolition: The Rivalry’s Biggest Margin
CSK 230/5 vs GT 147: CSK Won by 83 Runs
This is the largest victory margin in this rivalry. CSK scored 230/5. A total built on aggressive powerplay batting and a significant contribution from Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube in the middle overs.
GT chased and were bowled out for 147 in 18.3 overs.
Turning point: GT’s batting order collapsed in the middle overs when CSK’s spinners Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar. Took wickets in clusters. GT’s batting plan, which depends on Gill and Sudharsan setting the platform, fell apart when Noor Ahmad got Gill early.
Counterintuitive insight: CSK’s 230/5 is actually more impressive than the 83-run win margin suggests. On a flat Chennai surface in IPL 2025, 200+ totals happen. But 230/5 requires both opener dominance AND a healthy middle-order acceleration. CSK executed both phases perfectly. GT’s 147 was poor but CSK’s 230 was extraordinary. The rivalry scoreline flattered both sides’ extremes on that day.
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IPL 2024: Balanced Season
In IPL 2024, both sides split their league-stage meetings one win each.
GT beat CSK in one game through Gill’s leadership and the team’s calculated batting approach. CSK reversed the result in the return match at Chepauk using their spin advantage.
What this season showed: Neither team has consistent home-away advantages against each other in the modern era. GT’s fast-bowling attack with a flat Narendra Modi Stadium deck suits their batting more than CSK’s spinning track. But CSK’s Chepauk spin remains a real equaliser in April conditions.
IPL 2023: GT Win the Opener, CSK Win the Title
Match 1 (March 31, 2023): GT 182/5 vs CSK 178/7. GT Won by 4 Wickets
The season’s opening match was contested. CSK posted 178/7. a competitive total. GT chased it at 182/5 in 19.2 overs winning by 4 wickets.
Hardik Pandya and the GT middle order completed the chase. CSK’s bowling could not close out the match in the final 2 overs.
Turning point: GT’s winning run in their 2023 season opener came from composure in the chase rather than domination. They needed 35+ in 4 overs at one stage and delivered it without a panic shot.
The IPL 2023 Final: CSK’s Revenge
CSK beat GT in the 2023 final to win their fifth IPL title. GT, despite their season-opening win over CSK, could not hold on when it mattered most. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway’s opening stands in the knockout stages overwhelmed GT’s bowling.
Original observation: The IPL 2023 arc is the most satisfying narrative in this rivalry. GT beat CSK in match 1 of the season. CSK beat GT in match 67 of the season. The final. Both teams played more than 60 games between those two results, and the rivalry’s deciding match was the last game of the season. That symmetry is rare.
IPL 2022: GT’s Founding Dominance: Three Wins Including the Final
IPL 2022 was Gujarat Titans’ inaugural season. They beat Chennai Super Kings in every meeting including the final.
The 2022 IPL Final: Hardik Pandya’s GT vs MS Dhoni’s CSK. GT beat CSK to win their first-ever IPL title in their debut season. No franchise in IPL history had won the title in their debut season before GT in 2022.
What people think: GT won the 2022 final because they were the better team.
Reality: GT’s 2022 win was built on tactical precision and a batting lineup that had no “weak phase” Gill at the top, Hardik in the middle, David Miller as the finisher. CSK’s pace bowling in 2022 was insufficient to break up GT’s phases. The final was not a fluke it was a blueprint.
Original observation: The founding relationship between these franchises is unusual. GT beat CSK 3 times in their debut season. By logic, CSK should have adapted by 2023. They did winning the title. But in 2026, GT are again winning encounters against CSK. The cycle suggests this rivalry resets itself approximately every two seasons, with each team finding the counter to the other’s strength.
The Rivalry Pattern: What the Full Timeline Reveals
Bold opinion: The single most predictable factor in this rivalry is not the batting lineup it’s the captain. When Gaikwad leads CSK, they are competitive and structured. When he’s absent, CSK lose the tactical edge that compensates for their bowling limitations. Equally, Shubman Gill’s GT are defined by Sudharsan and Buttler at the top when both fire, no total is safe against them.
2026 IPL Season Form: Where Both Teams Stand
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GT returned to winning ways with the 8-wicket victory. Their campaign is firmly alive with 4 wins from 8 games.
CSK, without Gaikwad and still integrating MS Dhoni’s return, face a challenging second half of their 2026 campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the head-to-head record between CSK and GT in IPL?
Ans. Gujarat Titans lead the head-to-head approximately 6–4 across all IPL seasons from 2022 to 2026. GT won 3/3 in 2022 (including the IPL final), while CSK had their best season against GT in 2023 and won the IPL 2025 encounter by 83 runs.
Q2: What was the result of CSK vs GT IPL 2026 Match 37?
Ans. Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on April 26, 2026. CSK scored 158/7 in 20 overs; GT chased 162/2 in 16.4 overs. Sai Sudharsan made 87 off 46 balls (7 sixes, 4 fours).
Q3: Why was Ruturaj Gaikwad absent for CSK vs GT IPL 2026?
Ans. Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of IPL 2026 Match 37 due to an injury on the morning of the match. Sanju Samson took over as CSK’s captain for that game.
Q4: Did MS Dhoni play in CSK vs GT IPL 2026 Match 37?
Ans. Yes. MS Dhoni returned to the CSK playing XI for Match 37 against GT after missing CSK’s first 7 matches of IPL 2026 due to a calf injury.
Q5: What was the CSK vs GT IPL 2025 scorecard?
Ans. CSK beat GT by 83 runs in IPL 2025. CSK scored 230/5 (20 overs); GT were bowled out for 147 in 18.3 overs. This remains the largest margin of victory in any CSK vs GT IPL encounter.
Q6: When did Gujarat Titans beat CSK in their first-ever IPL final?
Ans. Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2022 final — GT’s debut season — to win their first IPL title. They were the first team in IPL history to win the championship in their inaugural season.
Q7: What was the IPL 2023 CSK vs GT season opener result?
Ans. Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by 4 wickets (182/5 chasing 178/7) in IPL 2023 Match 1 on March 31, 2023. However, CSK went on to beat GT in the IPL 2023 final to win the title.