High octane drama Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has reached its peak Gujarat Titans (GT) hosted Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the critical 66th game of the season at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. As the business of the tournament came to an end, this clash had great consequences for both sides. while Shubman Gill‘s Gujarat Titans had already secured their playoff berths and were eyeing a top two spot, Super Kings entered the arena fighting to keep their playoff aspirations alive. As fans waited for a classic tactical battle, the talk of the town immediately turned to a major strategic lapse in the Titans’ bowling line-up at the time of the toss.
Why is Sai Kishore not playing against CSK in today’s match?
The main reason behind it Ravisrinivasan Sai KishoreGujarat Titans’ absence from the 11th match against Chennai Super Kings is due to special pitch conditions and tactical reshuffle. The CSK captain who won the toss on an Ahmedabad surface that promised extra zip Ruturaj Gaikwad bowled first to take advantage of the early pace and bounce. Accepting these conditions, GT captain Gill decided to shift his bowling strategy away from spin.
During the shootout, Gill confirmed that the Titans have made a single, direct modification to their lineup, recalling the first speedster. Prasidh Krishna Left arm orthodox spinner, Kishore instead for the mix.
Gill explained that the team management chose not to rely solely on past stadium statistics, which historically favored batting first to avoid minimal dew, but instead preferred to strengthen the front pace battery. The decision to put Sai Kishor on the bench is purely a horses for courses strategy to maximize aggression on a tough track. Gill also stressed the need to increase the team’s overall fielding and bowling intensity after setbacks in their previous games, suggesting tactical changes are vital to maintain momentum in the hot zone of the tournament.
Playing XI and effective substitutes of both teams
Both franchises have significantly adjusted their team balance to suit the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, using key tactical rotations and naming strong options on their respective benches.
Gujarat Titans (XI game): Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj.
Gujarat Titans Batting Substitutes: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Devald BrewisShivam Dube, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.
Chennai Super Kings Impact Subs: Kartik Sharma, Macneil Noronha, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldip Yadav, Aman Khan.
Also READ: Will MS Dhoni play CSK’s last league match in IPL 2026? Michael Hussey shares a major update
