GT falter in top-two push as CSK sign off with big win

A thumping 83-run victory for Chennai Super Kings scuppered Gujarat Titans' chances of securing a spot in the top two, which they could have had with a win today at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After a powerful batting performance that saw them amass 230 after winning the toss, CSK put in a clinical show with the ball to end their otherwise sorry season with a sweet win.

Where was the game won?

The victory was as comprehensive as they come with CSK outplaying GT in every phase of the game. Helping them go decisively ahead was the back-end of CSK's batting innings where Dewald Brevis plundered five sixes and four fours to hit 57 and take CSK to 230. In the mid-innings break he also pre-empted that hitting the deck could be the way for his team's bowlers. Anshul Kamboj answered that call in the Powerplay where he picked up the important wickets of Shubman Gill and Sherfane Rutherford with Khaleel Ahmed nabbing Jos Buttler. GT found no way back with the momentum having decisively shifted.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

Powerplay - Mhatre helps CSK surge

Phase Score - 68/1 (RR: 11.33; 4s/6s: 7/4)

Ayush Mhatre scored half of CSK's total inside the PowerPlay but his stay lasted all of 22 balls in the innings. He managed to face 17 of those and produced a boundary-fest hitting three fours and as many sixes. The bulk of that came in just one over where Mhatre tore into Arshad Khan for 28 runs. He lofted Khan down the ground for a six and followed it up with a pulled one and when Khan went outside off he was neatly driven for a boundary. That over set the tone for CSK and covered over some quiet moments otherwise. Mohammed Siraj managed to keep the batters relatively quiet in a three-over spell upfront as did Prasidh Krishna, who sneaked in a 2-run over inside the PowerPlay. That over also contained the wicket of Mhatre who perished skying a full delivery to mid off.

Middle Overs - CSK keep the momentum up

Phase Score - 95/3 (RR: 10.55; 4s/6s: 8/5 )

The challenge for CSK after Mhatre's departure was to keep the boundaries flowing. But a breezy 63-run partnership between Devon Conway and Urvil Patel helped them achieve it. They got going immediately after the PowerPlay with Gerald Coetzee being hit for thirteen runs, including three boundaries. Patel fell trying to hit Sai Kishore for a second six in a row but Shivam Dube, coming in at No. 4, helped keep it up with two sixes in a eight-ball knock. Conway took down Rashid Khan even bringing up his fifty with a six off the spinner. Through the middle-overs the collective hitting effort ensured that CSK never fell back and were set up for a big finish.

Death Overs - Brevis blitz powers CSK

Phase Score - 67/1 (RR: 13.4; 4s/6s: 3/6 )

Dewald Brevis took control of the end overs hitting a 23-ball 57 that propelled CSK to a massive 230. The right-hander dominated a 74-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth wicket. He brought up his fifty with a sequence of 6, 6, 4 followed by a single against Siraj. The 19-ball fifty gave CSK a big fillip in the end overs that offset Jadeja's 18-ball 21. In an otherwise expensive bowling card, Prasidh stood out once again for Gujarat Titans giving away only 22 in his four overs. But even his 9-run final over, including the wicket of Brevis, could not prevent CSK from marching towards a potentially match-winning total.

GUJARAT TITANS

Powerplay - Early wickets peg GT back

Phase Score - 35/3 (RR: 5.83; 4s/6s: 3/1)

Gujarat Titans' biggest stength through IPL 2025 - their top order - came undone inside the PowerPlay leaving them in a dire situation. CSK had ready plans for them with Ravindra Jadeja opening the attack but it was Anshul Kamboj who got the breakthrough. Operating with a slip in place and hitting the hard lengths, Kamboj had Shubman Gill nicking even as he skipped down the track. Jos Buttler followed in the next over slashing Khaleel Ahmed to Kamboj at deep point. Four balls later Kamboj had more reason for joy as he cramped Sherfane Rutherford on the pull to have him caught. At 30/3, GT's start for a tall chase had everything going wrong.

Middle Overs - Blows exchanged but CSK retain control

Phase Score - 90/4 (RR: 10.00; 4s/6s: 7/4 )

Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan put on a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket. The duo picked up 18 runs off a Shivam Dube over harbouring hopes of a comeback. But that too was nipped in the bud with Ravindra Jadeja coming back to pick both in the 11th over. Shahrukh was out caught by a juggling Pathirana while Sudharsan hit one straight to Dube at point. Noor Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana had the better of the lower-order dashing hopes of any miracles. Gujarat still managed to get past 122 which ensured that CSK will finish last for the first time in IPL history despite their dominance otherwise in this match.

Death Overs - Noor delivers the finishing touches

Phase Score - 22/3 (RR: 6.66; 4s/6s: 0/2 )

Noor had compatriot Rashid Khan lofting to long on and then dismissed Rahul Tewatia chipping to cover before bowling Arshad Khan with a googly. Khan had hit a couple of sixes towards the end but to no avail. Kamboj, fittingly, got the final wicket as CSK wrapped it up in style.

Brief Scores:Chennai Super Kings 230/5 in 20 overs (Dewald Brevis 57, Devon Conway 52; Prasidh Krishna 2-22) beat Gujarat Titans 147 all out in 18.3 overs (Sai Sudharsan 41; Anshul Kamboj 3-13, Noor Ahmed 3-21) by 83 runs

What's next?

It's the end of the road for CSK this season but their big victory against Gujarat Titans puts Gill's men looking nervously at the other matches coming up. Their position at the points table, still No. 1 as of today, could change dramatically and even push them outside the top two and play the Eliminator.