GT look to firm up top-two spot; CSK aim to salvage pride
GT may end up playing the Eliminator if they lose to CSK in Ahmedabad on Sunday
Abhimanyu Bose
24-May-2025 • 4 hrs ago
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.
Form guide
Gujarat Titans: LWWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings: LWLLL
Chennai Super Kings: LWLLL
In the spotlight
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.
Team news and likely XIIs
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.
Gujarat Titans: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Jos Buttler (wk), 4 Sherfane Rutherford, 5 M Shahrukh Khan, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Arshad Khan, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Kagiso Rabada/Gerald Coetzee, 10 R Sai Kishore, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 M Prasidh Krishna
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.
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ayush Mhatre, 2 Shaik Rasheed/Devon Conway, 3 Urvil Patel, 4 Ravindra Jadeja, 5 Dewald Brevis, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 R Ashwin, 8 MS Dhoni (wk, capt), 9 Anshul Kamboj, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Khaleel Ahmed, 12 Matheesha Pathirana
The big question
Pitch and conditions
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.
Stats and trivia
- 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.
Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
