CSK vs GT: A recent IPL rivalry shaped by finals, leadership changes and measurable results
Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans have met in one of the IPL’s most significant recent matchups: the 2023 final, decided on the last ball under the DLS method, gave CSK their fifth title and remains the defining fixture between the two teams as of 2026. The contest also links two different IPL eras: CSK’s long-running success under Mahendra Singh Dhoni and GT’s rapid rise after entering the league in 2022.
The rivalry is relatively new compared with Chennai Super Kings’ older contests against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru or Kolkata Knight Riders. However, CSK vs GT has carried high competitive value because Gujarat Titans reached two finals in their first two IPL seasons, while Chennai Super Kings remained among the most successful franchises in the tournament’s history.
As of 2026, the fixture is best understood through documented IPL results from 2022 to 2025, including Gujarat’s title-winning debut season in 2022, Chennai’s fifth championship in 2023, leadership changes at both franchises, and squad adjustments reported through official IPL releases and established news agencies such as Reuters.
Background: two franchises at different stages of IPL history
Chennai Super Kings were established in 2008 and have been one of the Indian Premier League’s most consistent franchises. CSK won IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s IPL records list Chennai among the most successful teams in the competition by championships won.
Gujarat Titans entered the IPL in 2022 as one of two new franchises, alongside Lucknow Super Giants. Gujarat won the 2022 IPL title in their first season, defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That result made GT one of the few teams to win the IPL in a debut season.
Reuters reported in 2022 that Gujarat Titans, led by Hardik Pandya, won the title after topping the league stage and then beating Rajasthan Royals in the final. The official IPL scorecard recorded Gujarat’s seven-wicket win in the final on 29 May 2022.
CSK and GT therefore represent a contrast: one side with long-term continuity and a large title record, the other with immediate success after entering the league. Their meetings since 2022 have carried added weight because both clubs quickly occupied the top end of the IPL table in overlapping seasons.
Head-to-head context from 2022 to 2025
Publicly available IPL records show that Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans first met in 2022. Gujarat won both league-stage meetings that season. In 2023, the rivalry became more prominent because the teams faced each other in the season opener, Qualifier 1 and the final.
In the 2023 IPL opener on 31 March in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 92 for CSK, while Shubman Gill made 63 for GT, according to the official IPL scorecard. Gujarat chased 179 with four balls remaining.
Chennai reversed that result in Qualifier 1 on 23 May 2023 at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. CSK defeated GT by 15 runs. Chennai scored 172 for 7, and Gujarat were bowled out for 157. The win took CSK directly into the final.
The 2023 final was scheduled for 28 May but was pushed to 29 May because of rain in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans scored 214 for 4, with Sai Sudharsan making 96 from 47 balls. Chennai’s target was revised to 171 in 15 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. CSK won by five wickets after Ravindra Jadeja hit the final two balls for six and four. Reuters reported on 30 May 2023 that Chennai Super Kings had beaten Gujarat Titans to win their fifth IPL title.
In 2024, the teams met twice in the league stage. Chennai Super Kings beat Gujarat Titans by 63 runs on 26 March 2024 in Chennai. CSK made 206 for 6, and GT finished on 143 for 8. In the reverse fixture on 10 May 2024 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by 35 runs. GT scored 231 for 3, with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan both making centuries. Chennai finished on 196 for 8.
As of 2026, these recent fixtures show that home conditions, batting starts and death-over execution have been central to the results between the two teams. The scorecards also show that the rivalry has produced both low-margin knockout matches and high-scoring league fixtures.
Key statistics and documented facts, 2024–2026
- 2024: Chennai Super Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by 63 runs in Chennai on 26 March 2024, after scoring 206 for 6. Gujarat finished at 143 for 8, according to the official IPL match record.
- 2024: Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by 35 runs on 10 May 2024 in Ahmedabad after posting 231 for 3. Shubman Gill scored 104 and Sai Sudharsan scored 103, based on IPL scorecard data.
- 2024: MS Dhoni handed over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the season. Reuters reported the leadership change in March 2024, noting that Dhoni had led CSK to five IPL titles.
- 2024: Shubman Gill captained Gujarat Titans after Hardik Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians before the season. Reuters reported the transfer in November 2023 and the captaincy change before IPL 2024.
- 2025: Public IPL records listed CSK and GT among the participating franchises for the season under the BCCI-run Indian Premier League structure.
- As of 2026: CSK had five IPL titles, while Gujarat Titans had one IPL title, according to publicly available IPL historical records.
The 2023 final remains the central CSK-GT reference point
The 2023 final is the most significant match in the rivalry because it decided the title. Gujarat Titans entered the final as defending champions. Chennai Super Kings entered the match after beating GT in Qualifier 1.
The final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium was affected by rain. The start was delayed to the reserve day, and Chennai’s chase was shortened after further interruptions. Gujarat’s total of 214 for 4 was the highest team score in an IPL final at the time, based on official IPL match data.
Sai Sudharsan’s 96 was a major innings for Gujarat. For Chennai, Devon Conway scored 47 from 25 balls and was named player of the match. Ravindra Jadeja’s last-over finish was recorded as six and four from the final two deliveries bowled by Mohit Sharma.
The result gave Chennai Super Kings their fifth IPL trophy. Reuters reported that the victory placed CSK level with Mumbai Indians at the time for the most IPL titles won by a franchise. The result also ended Gujarat’s attempt to defend the title they won in 2022.
Leadership changes shaped the 2024 phase
The 2024 season marked a major leadership shift for both teams. Chennai Super Kings appointed Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain before IPL 2024. Reuters reported on 21 March 2024 that MS Dhoni had stepped down as CSK captain, with Gaikwad taking over.
Dhoni had captained Chennai through most of their IPL history and led the franchise to titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. His transition away from captaincy was therefore a major structural change for CSK, even though he remained part of the playing squad in 2024.
Gujarat Titans also changed captains. Hardik Pandya, who led GT to the 2022 title and the 2023 final, returned to Mumbai Indians before IPL 2024. Reuters reported in November 2023 that Pandya had moved from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians. Gujarat then named Shubman Gill as captain.
The captaincy shift affected the public framing of the CSK vs GT fixture in 2024. Instead of Dhoni vs Pandya, the contest became Gaikwad vs Gill, two Indian top-order batters leading franchises with recent IPL success.
Batting patterns: top-order scoring has decided several meetings
CSK vs GT matches have frequently been influenced by top-order runs. In the 2023 season opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 92 was the standout CSK contribution, while Shubman Gill’s 63 guided Gujarat’s chase. In the 2023 final, Sai Sudharsan’s 96 gave GT a large total before the weather-adjusted chase.
The 2024 Ahmedabad match made this pattern clearer. Gujarat Titans scored 231 for 3 against Chennai, with Shubman Gill making 104 and Sai Sudharsan making 103. Both innings came in the same match. The official IPL scorecard recorded a 210-run opening stand, one of the highest partnerships of the 2024 season.
For CSK, high first-innings totals have also mattered. Their 206 for 6 against Gujarat in March 2024 gave their bowlers a substantial target to defend. Chennai won that match by 63 runs, one of the bigger margins in the head-to-head record between the franchises.
These results show that the fixture has not been defined only by close finishes. While the 2023 final was decided on the last ball, other meetings have been decided by large totals and significant run margins.
Bowling factors and venue influence
Venue has been a measurable factor in CSK vs GT results. Chennai’s home venue, the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, has traditionally offered assistance to spin bowlers and slower-ball specialists, although exact match conditions vary by pitch and season. Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium has staged several high-scoring matches, including the 2023 final and Gujarat’s 231 for 3 against CSK in 2024.
In Qualifier 1 of 2023 at Chennai, CSK defended 172 by bowling Gujarat out for 157. The result underlined the value of bowling control in middle overs and at the death. In the 2024 Chennai league match, CSK again defended a total successfully, restricting GT to 143 for 8.
At Ahmedabad, Gujarat have produced some of their strongest batting performances against CSK. The 2023 final total of 214 for 4 and the 2024 league total of 231 for 3 were both made at the same venue. Those scorecards show that GT’s batting strength has been especially visible at home against Chennai.
Franchise records as of 2026
As of 2026, Chennai Super Kings’ record of five IPL titles remains central to their standing in the tournament. Their championships came across a 13-year span from 2010 to 2023, showing long-term presence at the top of the competition. Official IPL historical records list CSK as champions in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
Gujarat Titans’ main historical achievement remains their 2022 title in their first season. They also reached the 2023 final, giving them two final appearances in their first two seasons. That early record is uncommon in IPL history and is documented in official IPL results and Reuters match reports.
By 2024, both franchises had undergone leadership changes. CSK moved from Dhoni to Gaikwad, while GT moved from Pandya to Gill. As of 2026, those changes remain part of the recent context for evaluating the matchup.
Why CSK vs GT matters in the IPL schedule
CSK vs GT matters because it combines recent title history with current squad transitions. The teams contested the 2023 final, exchanged major results in 2024, and featured some of India’s most prominent players in leadership or batting roles.
The fixture also reflects wider IPL developments. Gujarat Titans’ entry in 2022 came after the league expanded to 10 teams. The BCCI’s IPL structure has since kept the tournament at 10 franchises, with league-stage matches and playoffs determining the champion. CSK and GT have both reached finals under that expanded format.
From a results perspective, the rivalry has already produced several notable records: a debut-season title for Gujarat in 2022, a fifth title for Chennai in 2023, a rain-affected final decided on the last ball, and dual centuries by Gujarat openers against CSK in 2024.
As of 2026, CSK vs GT is not the oldest rivalry in the Indian Premier League, but it is one of the most consequential recent matchups because it has directly influenced championship outcomes and reflected major changes in franchise leadership.
Sources: Reuters, Government releases, publicly available data.
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