As CSK prepare to close their forgettable season against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday, one thing seems almost certain: we may well be witnessing the last of ‘Captain’ MS Dhoni. Gujarat Titans (GT) continue their ongoing Indian Premier League 2025 campaign by taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Both sides will face off at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, in the 67th game of the tournament on Sunday, May 25. Notably, this will be the first time these two sides lock horns this season.
Chennai Super Kings are anchored firmly at the bottom of the table, certain to finish last for the first time in their Indian Premier League history. They have been at their poorest throughout the season. Yet, the buzz surrounding CSK’s matches remains undiminished, with packed stands across India, all thanks to MS dhoni
Yes, MS Dhoni is no longer the man who used to effortlessly deposit sixes into the stands. He may not even be the same captain with the ‘Midas touch’. Yet, MS Dhoni, through his sheer presence, continues to draw crowds and captivate attention. Still, the CSK camp firmly believes MS Dhoni will know best when to call time on his IPL career. It would be a miracle if he returns for IPL 2026 and delivers better performances, especially with the bat.
GT vs CSK : Previous Performances
Gujarat Titans currently sit atop the table with 18 points, and a victory will secure a top-two finish. However, a loss to CSK on Sunday could see them slip from those coveted positions – a bitter blow for one of the season’s most consistent sides.
A finish in the top-two is firmly within reach for table-toppers Gujarat Titans. Despite a setback in their previous outing against the Lucknow Super Giants, their destiny remains firmly in their own hands as a win over Chennai Super Kings will seal a spot in Qualifier 1, giving them two shots at reaching the final. For Shubman Gill, the newly appointed Indian Test skipper , a win here to seal a top-two finish, would add further weight to his credentials as the the next flagbearer of Indian cricket.
Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans, who sit atop the standings in the tournament, have been in exceptional form. With nine wins in 13 games, GT will aim to register yet another win and stay atop the standings. However, they are coming off a loss at the hands of Lucknow Super Giants, but will look to put that behind them. Notably, with a 76% chance of finishing in the top two, the former champions will look to end their league stage with a win.
The game against LSG was only the second time this season that each of their top-three – Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharshan, and Jos Buttler – didn’t go past fifty in the same match. The middle order tried to step up, with Shahrukh Khan and Sherfane Rutherford coming up with fighting knocks, but GT fell 33 short of LSG’s 235. With Buttler unavailable for the playoffs stage owing to national duties, the middle order (no.4 – no.7) – which has faced the least deliveries (354) and has scored the least runs (590) among all teams – will be put to further test.
The focus will also be on a bowling attack that, barring the efforts of Prasidh Krishna and Sai Kishore, has lacked bite in recent games. Mohammed Siraj has managed just two PowerPlay wickets in his last eight outings, while Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada have collectively taken only 10 wickets in 61 overs, conceding runs at 9.89 per over.
For CSK, however, it’s been a season to forget. The storied IPL team, which has won five titles, is staring at a bottom finish for the first time in IPL history. And the only escape route for the struggling CSK side is a massive win – defeat GT by 107 runs or with 45 deliveries to spare, assuming a first innings score of 200.
On the other hand, Chennai have been playing for their pride, since being out of playoffs contention. The Ahmedabad crowd will be excited to watch the legendary MS Dhoni for one final time this season, or perhaps in his playing career, if he decides not to return next year.
For CSK, the focus has shifted to the future, a recurring theme through much of the second half of their campaign. And it’s the sum of all the misfiring parts that has led to their struggles this season. They have the lowest average (23.67) and the lowest run rate (8.5) in the PowerPlay among all teams, despite trying five different opening combinations. Their average opening stand of 20.15 is only marginally better than Delhi Capitals’ 19.2, which is the lowest this season.
The middle order has had to do all the heavy-lifting for them – CSK’s No. 4 to 7 have scored the most (1099) among all teams but have also faced the most deliveries (819), at a strike-rate of 134.18 (lowest among all teams). With top-order instability, an underwhelming bowling unit, and an overworked middle order, CSK are enduring their worst-ever IPL season.
GT vs CSK : Head to Head
CSK have lost four games in seven meetings to Gujarat Titans. Incidentally, this is the first meeting between the two sides in IPL 2025. CSK, however, have won three of their last four matches against the former champions. GT 4-3 CSK. In Ahmedabad, GT have won two matches against CSK while their only loss against them came in the IPL 2023 final.
| Matches Played | 7 |
| Won by Gujarat Titans | 4 |
| Won by Chennai Super Kings | 3 |
| Tied | 00 |
| No Result | 00 |
| First-ever Fixture | April 17, 2022 |
| Most-recent Fixture | May 10, 2024 |
GT vs CSK : Pitch and Weather Report
The wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is known for its batting-friendly nature, especially in the first half of the game. The average score here has been 199, while the average first-innings score is 215. The pacers might get some help going in the second innings, so the toss-winning skipper will aim to bat first and post a tough total to chase down for the opponen
The 22-yard-strip at the Narendra Modi Stadium favours the batters. However, the deck also has something in it for the pacers to extract pace and bounce. The average first-innings total at the venue is 175 runs. It is expected to be a sunny day with no signs of rain. Notably, the team winning the toss is expected to bowl first.
The venue has witnessed eight 200-plus totals in six matches, suggesting another high-scoring game is on the cards. In the last afternoon clash here, GT chased down DC’s total of 203 comfortably. The Narendra Modi Stadium has been a venue for batting first this season, and the trend continued in the last game there as LSG set GT a daunting target of 236. Five of the six matches in Ahmedabad this season have been won by teams batting first.
GT vs CSK : Big Picture : GT must win to play Qualifier 1
Gujarat Titans (GT) were among the first three teams to seal their berth in the playoffs, and will now head into their final game of the league stage on top of the points table. But they are still not guaranteed a top-two finish, and need another win on Sunday to be sure of playing Qualifier 1 and not the Eliminator.
In their last match, GT went down to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and on Sunday, they face Chennai Super Kings (CSK), another team that has been knocked out. CSK will be playing for pride in Ahmedabad, and wouldn’t want to end the season with back-to-back losses.
The defeat to LSG also means GT can’t afford the luxury of resting some of their fast bowlers ahead of the knockouts. They will also hope that Rashid Khan, who is having his worst IPL season with the ball, can find some form and momentum in this game before heading into the playoffs.
For CSK, it has been a horror season with several unwanted records, and are set to finish at the bottom of the table for the first time. The five-time champions will want to emulate LSG and sign off by defeating GT, one of the title contenders which would be an ideal tribute to their talismaniac skipper MS Dhoni who might don the yellow colors as a skipper or player one last time in IPL extravaganza.
GT vs CSK : Players in the Spotlight : R Sai Kishore and Dewald Brevis
R Sai Kishore spent three seasons on the CSK bench. He was then signed by GT, and made five appearances each in 2022 and 2024, though didn’t get a game in 2023. He has enjoyed his breakout season in IPL 2025, taking 16 wickets in 13 games. Sai Kishore has displayed both skill and guile, and has shown he can be effective even against left-hand batters. The Chennai-born left-arm spinner will want to step up and show his former team just what they missed out on.
Joining CSK as a mid-season replacement, Dewald Brevis is another player enjoying a breakout IPL campaign. Despite playing just five matches, he has already had his most prolific season. Brevis has struck at 164.70, giving CSK much-needed power in the middle order, something that their stand-in captain MS Dhoni also acknowledged after their last match. A highly-rated youngster, Brevis will want to finish the season on a high and ensure he is either retained, or is a hot pick in the next auction.
GT vs CSK : Vital Stats that matters
- GT’s top three averages 58.29 this season, the highest for any team. In contrast, CSK’s top three averages the lowest (23.21). GT have also used the joint-fewest batters in those positions, while CSK have used the most.
- Despite them scoring the fewest runs, GT’s middle order has scored quicker than any other team in the season with a strike rate of 166.66, while CSK’s middle order has been the slowest scoring unit in the league (134.18).
- Matheesha Pathirana has bowled to Sai Sudharsan in two games, and dismissed him both times, although the GT opener has taken 38 runs at a strike rate of 190 off him.
- Rashid Khan has gone wicketless in 11 out of 25 games in the IPL since 2024. This season, he hasn’t got a wicket in seven out of 13 matches
- GT’s overseas bowlers have picked up only 12 wickets in 13 matches, at an average of 56.58 with an economy of 9.98
- Dewald Brevis has the third highest strike rate (170.1) in the middle overs in IPL 2025 (Min. 75 balls faced)
- Noor Ahmad has bagged 16 wickets in the first innings this season at an average of 13.75 with an economy of 7.33. However, he has struggled in the second innings, with only five wickets at an average of 33.4 and an economy of 10.43
GT vs CSK : Team News for GT and CSK
Gujarat Titans
Injury/unavailability: There are no personnel issues at the moment for GT, although they will be without the services of overseas players like Buttler and Rabada heading into the playoffs. This will be the final game where GT will have Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada available. With Rabada going for runs in the last match, they might replace him with Gerald Coetzee. But other than that, it is unlikely they will make any change.
There are no reported injury issues in either of the camps. Gujarat Titans will be hoping to get the best out of Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada as their two overseas stars will not be available for the playoffs. Buttler, who has been a pillar at No. 3 for the Titans, will be hoping to make one big impact and ensure Gujarat seal a place in the top two, which offers them an extra shot at reaching the final.
Tactics & matchups: A hit-the-deck bowler like Krishna, and the pace of Rabada could be good options for GT against Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis, the best CSK’s batters in recent games. Rabada against Shivam Dube is a favourable matchup for GT, as is Rashid against R Ashwin. Gujarat might think about resting Rashid Khan, who has been off colour in this season. In their previous game against LSG, Rashid was taken to the cleaners by Mitchell Marsh. A breather before the playoffs might be a welcome change for the Afghanistan superstar.
GT Probable Playing XI : Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharshan, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sherfane Rutherford, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player: Prasidh Krishna
Chennai Super Kings
Injury/unavailability: CSK do not have any availability concerns at the moment.CSK are coming off a defeat, and could look to bring Shaik Rasheed back for Devon Conway, who hasn’t had a good season at the top.
Tactics & matchups: Ravindra Jadeja could be a good option for CSK against Jos Buttler, who has been dismissed by the left-armer twice in eight innings in the IPL. They could look at using Matheesha Pathirana early, considering he has dismissed Sudharsan twice. Meanwhile, Khaleel Ahmed has accounted for Gill twice, while he has also dismissed Shahrukh three times.
CSK Probable Playing XI : Ayush Mhatre, Devon Conway, Urvil Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Anshul Kamboj, Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed.
Impact Player: Matheesha Pathirana
GT vs CSK Fantasy Playing XI : Shubman Gil, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Arshad Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Prasidh Krishna , Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj.
GT vs CSK : Probable best players of the match
Probable Best Batter of the Match : Shubman Gill
Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill could be the best batter in the upcoming game against Chennai Super Kings. Gill has been in exceptional form throughout the tournament, and his performances with the bat have been crucial to GT’s success in the competition. The right-handed batter currently holds the second spot in the Orange Cap list with 636 runs in 13 innings at an average of 57.81
Probable Best Bowler of the Match : Prasidh Krishna
Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna could be the best bowler in the upcoming game against MS Dhoni-led Chennai. Krishna has had one of his best seasons so far and will aim to limit CSK as much as possible. Currently the joint-highest wicket-taker of this edition, with 21 scalps, the right-arm pacer will look to better his tally and pick wickets at regular intervals
GT vs CSK : Match Prediction
Leveraging their strong momentum, Gujarat Titans are likely to triumph in this contest.
Scenario 1
- Gujarat Titans win the toss and bowl
- PP Score – 50-60
- CSK – 170-180
- Gujarat Titans win the match
Scenario 2
- Chennai Super Kings win the toss and bowl
- PP score – 70-80
- GT – 210-220
- Gujarat Titans win the match
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