Gujarat Titans delivered a dominant all-round performance to thrash Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, strengthening their chances of securing a Qualifier 1 spot while simultaneously knocking the five-time champions out of IPL 2026.
Although the stands were filled with more yellow jerseys than Gujarat’s cosmic blue, the home side controlled the contest from the outset with a commanding batting display followed by ruthless bowling.
The Titans’ top order once again proved unstoppable. B. Sai Sudharsan led the charge with a fluent 84 off 53 balls, while captain Shubman Gill hammered 64 from just 37 deliveries. Jos Buttler then provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 57 off 27 balls as Gujarat piled up a massive 229 for four.
Gill and Sai Sudharsan began cautiously before gradually accelerating. The opening pair showcased elegance and timing before shifting into an attacking mode after the PowerPlay. Gill reached his half-century in only 23 balls, and one of his towering sixes off Noor Ahmad also carried him past the 6000-run milestone in T20 cricket.
Sai Sudharsan soon joined the assault as Gujarat crossed the 100-run mark in the 10th over. The partnership between Gill and Sai Sudharsan crossed the 100-run mark for the 10th time in the IPL, equalling the long-standing record held by Virat Kohli and A.B. de Villiers for the most century stands in tournament history.
Even after Gill’s dismissal in the 13th over, the scoring rate did not dip. Buttler’s explosive range-hitting ensured Gujarat finished with a daunting total, putting immense pressure on Chennai’s batting lineup.
That pressure quickly turned into collapse. Chennai lost three wickets for just 29 runs inside the opening three overs and slipped further to 63 for five in seven overs. The chase never truly recovered despite a brief counterattack from Shivam Dube, who smashed 47 off only 17 deliveries with four boundaries and four sixes.
However, once Rashid Khan dismissed Dube with Chennai at 116 for six, the result was virtually sealed. The early breakthroughs from Mohammed Siraj, who claimed three for 26, and Kagiso Rabada, who took three for 32, left CSK with too much damage to repair.
Chennai Super Kings were eventually bowled out for 140, bringing an end to a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, while Gujarat Titans moved a step closer to securing a top-two finish.
