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Ahmedabad, 21 May. Gujarat Titans (GT) thrilled the home crowd with their overall performance with bat and ball here on Thursday night and not only destroyed the remaining hopes of five-time former champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with a resounding 89-run win but also secured their place among the top two teams of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL-19) 2026 playoffs.

Hosts reached 229 runs with the stormy fifties of Sai, Gill and Butler.

Forced to bat first on the fast and bouncy red clay pitch of Narendra Modi Stadium, GT scored 229 for four with the stormy half-centuries of opener Sai Sudarshan (84 runs, 53 balls, four sixes, seven fours) and captain Shubman Gill (64 runs, 37 balls, three sixes, seven fours) and Jos Buttler (57 not out, 27 balls, four sixes, five fours). Made a huge score of runs.

Super Kings scattered on 140 in front of Siraj, Rabada and Rashid

In front of a difficult target, CSK’s first five batsmen were bowled out for just 63 runs in seven overs. Siraj (3-26) and Kagiso returned to the pavilion in front of Rabada (3-32). However, after this, the highest scorer Shivam Dubey (47 runs, 17 balls, four sixes, four fours) raised momentary hopes. But as soon as he returned in the 11th over with the ball of Rashid Khan (3-18), the line was set again and the visiting team was scattered for 140 runs in 13.4 overs.

Titans conclude their campaign in the league stage with ninth win

The Titans, placed second on the points table, finished their campaign in the league stage with 18 points from their ninth win in 14 matches. The match played on Friday between the current first-placed defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB, 18 points) and the third-placed team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH, 16 points) will not only decide the first place but will also become clear the position of the first qualifier.

The Chennai team, which was without Dhoni, had to face eight defeats in the entire season.

This was CSK’s third consecutive and eighth defeat in 14 matches, which was without former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the entire season and it ended its campaign with 12 points. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team, which suffered its second consecutive defeat from Gujarat, is currently in seventh place, but if Delhi Capitals (DC) beats Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in its last match, then Chennai will fall to eighth place.

The fight for the fourth place in the playoffs is now between 4 teams

At present, the fight in the race for the fourth place in the playoffs has now been limited to four teams – Rajasthan Royals (RR, 14 points), Punjab Kings (PBKS, 13 points), KKR (13 points) and DC (12 points). These include Rajasthan’s Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and KKR’s DC. It will be interesting to see who will get the fourth place in the playoffs.

Chennai’s top 5 batsmen had returned within 8 overs.

If we look at the batting of Chennai Super Kings against a strong target, then ‘Player of the Match’ Mohd. Siraj spoiled the start by returning Sanju Samson (0) on the very first ball. The second highest scorers Matthew Short (24 runs, 14 balls, one six, three fours) and Rituraj (16 runs, seven balls, two sixes, one four) tried to show pace. But when Siraj dismissed Gaikwad and Urvil Patel (0) in his next over, Rabada departed at short and Karthik Sharma (19 runs, 15 balls, three fours) was run out.

The biggest partnership of 53 runs between Shivam and Brevis

Shivam then created some stir with a counterattacking effort in the presence of Dewald Brevis (eight runs) and a quick partnership of 53 runs off just 21 balls. But when legbreak googly specialist Rashid broke the partnership with Shivam caught by Gill, the last five batsmen returned within 24 runs off 19 balls amid momentary resistance from Anshul Kamboj (19 runs, eight balls, two sixes, one four). During this, Rashid ended the innings by taking two wickets each in the 12th over and Rabada in the 13th over.

Sudarshan and Gill added 125 runs in 74 balls for the first wicket.

Before this, Gill, who had started the innings with Sai, immediately picked up the pace and hit his second consecutive fifty and sixth fifty of the current season in just 23 balls. When Sudarshan opened a little late, he also completed his fifth consecutive and seventh half-century of the season. Although there were only 62 runs at the end of the powerplay, the two made a century partnership of 125 runs in just 74 balls for the first wicket.

82 runs were scored in 37 balls between Butler and Sai.

When Spencer Johnson (1-47) returned Gill in the 13th over, the aggressive style of Butler was seen, who scored 82 runs in 37 balls for the second wicket with Sai. Anshul Kamboj (1-56) broke the partnership at 207 runs by dismissing Sai in the 19th over and Rahul Tewatia (0) was run out on the very next ball.

score card

But Butler completed his second consecutive fifty and his fourth fifty of the season by hitting fours on the next two balls. Whereas Washington Sundar (seven runs, three balls, one four) was out on the last ball of the innings after hitting a six on Mukesh Chaudhary (1-36).

friday match : : Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (Hyderabad, 7.30 PM).