GT’s Twin Strike: Rabada & Sudharsan Crush CSK

Sai Sudharsan – GT’s form batter Orange Cap 2025: 759 runs in 15 matches @54.21, SR 156.17IPL 2026: Hit 100 off 58 vs RCB at Chinnaswamy, taking GT to 205/3 Became fastest to 2000 IPL runs in 47 innings, beating Gayle’s 48GT’s leading run-getter this season: 265 runs in 5 innings, SR 151.42 There seemed to be a misconception about the pitch. At the toss, Ruturaj Gaikwad spoke about it being dry and not minding defending a total, the implication being spin might come into play later. What happened was the exact opposite. GT bowled Rabada and Mohammed Siraj right through the powerplay and CSK were unable to cope with the pace and bounce on offer. CSK even brought in Sarfaraz Khan as the Impact Player at the four-over mark but it didn't work out as he fell for a golden duck. This was an under-strength GT attack too with Prasidh Krishna not playing. Still, they denied CSK a boundary for 31 balls between overs 3.5 and 9.1. They made them wait 11.6 overs to bring up fifty, making it their second-slowest in the IPL. Gaikwad was out there for all of it. He got off the mark with two boundaries. But with all the help the quicks were getting and wickets falling at the other end, he set his stall out to play the full 20 overs. Gaikead scored 74 of CSK's 158. He played out 30 dot balls, the joint-second highest in an IPL innings. Sudharsan ton/50+ setting up 190-200+ total — he’s been GT’s bank this season Rabada new-ball burst — CSK top order of Gaikwad/Samson/Sarfaraz vs Rabada/Siraj on a Chepauk track offering grip CSK collapse — middle order struggles continue, Rabada cleaning up 3-4 wickets A crowd of 31,506 came to Chepauk. They roared for the fifty coming up even though it took 72 balls. They go gaga for Dewald Brevis' entry, when he takes the knee just as he enters the field. He's made 64 runs in 53 balls this season. He's flattering to deceive. MS Dhoni isn't attending a single match day but his disembodied voice keeps ringing out over the loud speakers saying "start the whistles". And they do start. There is belief in Chennai but it started to fade around the 14th over of the chase when people started heading for the exit. Gujarat Titans 162 for 2 (Sai Sudharsan 87, Buttler 39*, Noor 1-29) beat Chennai Super Kings 158 for 7 (Gaikwad 74*, Rabada 3-25, Arshad 2-43) by wickets