The high-octane drama of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 reached its peak as Gujarat Titans (GT) hosted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) For the important 66th match of the season at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. As the tournament reaches its final stages, the clash has had a massive impact on both sides. Whereas Shubman GillWith Gujarat Titans having already secured their playoff qualification and aiming for a top-two finish, Super Kings entered the fray looking to keep their flickering playoff aspirations alive. As fans expected a classic tactical battle, the talk in the town immediately focused on a huge strategic lapse in the Titans’ bowling lineup at the time of the toss.
Why is Sai Kishore not playing against CSK in today’s match?
primary reason behind Ravishrinivasan Sai KishoreHis absence from Gujarat Titans’ playing XI against Chennai Super Kings comes due to specific pitch conditions and tactical realignment. Winning the toss on an Ahmedabad surface that promises extra zip, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad It was decided to bowl first to take advantage of the early pace and bounce. Accepting these conditions, GT captain Gill decided to keep his bowling strategy away from spin.
At the time of the toss, Gill confirmed that the Titans had made a single, direct modification to their lineup, recalling the key speedster Prasidh Krishna Left-arm orthodox spinner in the mix in place of Kishore.
Gill explained that the team management decided not to rely solely on past stadium figures, which historically favor batting first to avoid minimal dew, but instead opted to strengthen their frontline pace battery. The decision to keep Sai Kishore on the bench is purely a strategy aimed at maximizing aggression on a tough track. Gill also stressed the need to increase the team’s overall fielding and bowling intensity after lapses in their previous games, indicating that tactical changes were important to maintain momentum in the hot zones of the tournament.
Playing XI and impressive options of both the teams
Both franchises significantly adjusted their team balance to suit the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, utilizing key tactical rotations and naming powerful options on their respective benches.
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI): Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj.
Gujarat Titans Impact Options: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Urvil Patel, dewald brevisShivam Dubey, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmed, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Chaudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.
Chennai Super Kings Impact Options: Karthik Sharma, McNeil Noronha, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Aman Khan.
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