Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026
Match summary
Our IPL 2026 preview of Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk: form, Sanju Samson, likely XIs, pitch, weather and our pick.
Match details
| Match | Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, 37th Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 26 Apr 2026 |
| Start time | 10:00 am GMT / 3:30 pm local |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Chennai Super Kings |
| Toss pick | Gujarat Titans |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Gujarat Titans visit Chennai Super Kings in the 37th match of IPL 2026. CSK lost their first three games, including to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, but have won three of their last four, beating Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians. At Wankhede they made 207/6, helped by Sanju Samson’s 101 off 54 balls, and bowled Mumbai out for 104, with Akeal Hosein taking 4/17.
Samson has been the turning point, with two centuries in his last four games, 115 against Delhi and 101 against Mumbai, and 293 runs at a strike rate of nearly 179. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube remain a concern, and MS Dhoni is likely to return after missing the season so far through injury. Anshul Kamboj has 14 wickets despite injuries to Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson and Khaleel Ahmed.
Gujarat lost their first two, won three in a row, then lost heavily to Mumbai and Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Shubman Gill has 297 runs, and Sai Sudharsan scored 101 off 58 in a 205/3 that still fell short. The bowling is their strength, led by Prasidh Krishna on 12 wickets, with Kagiso Rabada finding rhythm. Our preview favours the in-form hosts.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch is traditionally slow and helps spin, making it one of the harder T20 surfaces for batters. It grips and turns more as the game goes on, particularly in the middle overs. Seamers have little pace or bounce to work with but can use cutters and variations. Batting is easier in the first few overs. With a mid-afternoon start, dew should have little effect.
The afternoon is forecast to be hot and humid, at around 33–36°C with strong sunshine and mostly clear to partly cloudy skies. There is no significant chance of rain, and a light sea breeze may bring brief relief.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 175–195 | – |
| Second innings | 170–190 | – |
Chennai Super Kings
CSK have won three of their last four, Sanju Samson is in form and they have home conditions on a spin-friendly pitch.
Toss pick: Gujarat Titans
FAQ
When is Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings?
The 37th match of IPL 2026 is set for Sunday 26 April 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, with a 3:30 pm local start.
Who does our preview pick?
Our preview picks Chennai Super Kings, with Gujarat Titans expected to win the toss.
What is a good total at Chepauk?
Anything above about 170 batting first is seen as a strong winning total on this slow surface.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Gujarat Titans
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gillc
- Jos Buttlerwk
- Washington Sundar
- Glenn Phillips
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- Kagiso Rabada or Jason Holder
- Mohammed Siraj
- Ashok Sharma
- Prasidh Krishna
Chennai Super Kings
- Sanju Samsonwk
- Ruturaj Gaikwadc
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dewald Brevis
- Shivam Dube
- Kartik Sharma
- Jamie Overton
- Noor Ahmad
- Anshul Kamboj
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Mukesh Choudhary