At the halfway stage of IPL 2026, both Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) find themselves in a similar position—three wins and four losses from seven matches, making the second half of the season crucial for their playoff hopes.
Gujarat Titans' Middle Order Woes
GT, usually known for consistency, are struggling with an unreliable middle order despite strong starts from Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. With little turnaround time after a demoralizing loss, they must quickly regroup.
Chennai Super Kings' Momentum and Setbacks
CSK, on the other hand, carry momentum from a big win over Mumbai Indians but face setbacks due to injuries and the absence of key players like Ayush Mhatre and Khaleel Ahmed. Their batting heavily depends on Sanju Samson, while inconsistency from Ruturaj Gaikwad remains a concern.
Head-to-Head Record
In eight previous encounters between the two sides, both CSK and GT have won four matches each, highlighting the evenly matched nature of this rivalry.
Pitch and Weather Report
The pitch at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) for today's afternoon match (3:30 PM IST) is expected to be a dry, red-soil surface that favors the team batting first. While the ground has seen higher-scoring games in IPL 2026, the intense Chennai heat reaching up to 34°C will likely cause the track to slow down and offer significant grip and turn for spinners as the game progresses.
The weather in Chennai for today's match (26 April 2026) will be hot and extremely humid, with no threat of rain to interrupt play. Since this is an afternoon fixture starting at 3:30 PM IST, players and fans will face the peak summer heat typical of late April in Tamil Nadu. Temperatures are expected to hover around 34°C to 36°C during the first innings, but due to high humidity, it will feel much hotter, with a perceived temperature of approximately 38°C to 40°C.
Predicted Playing XIs
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI):
- Sanju Samson (wk)
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dewald Brevis
- Shivam Dube
- Kartik Sharma
- Jamie Overton
- Akeal Hosein
- Noor Ahmad
- Anshul Kamboj
- Gurjapneet Singh
Impact Player: Mukesh Choudhary
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI):
- Sai Sudharsan
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Jos Buttler (wk)
- Washington Sundar
- Shahrukh Khan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Jason Holder
- Rashid Khan
- Manav Suthar
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mohammed Siraj
Impact Player: Prasidh Krishna
Live Streaming Details
The CSK vs GT clash will be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai with the match set to begin at 3:30 PM IST. The game will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
Full Squads
Chennai Super Kings Squad: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Matt Henry, Urvil Patel, MS Dhoni, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Zakary Foulkes, Akash Madhwal, Aman Khan, Ramakrishna Ghosh.
Gujarat Titans Squad: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan, Luke Wood, Connor Esterhuizen, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma.
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