How CSK exposed the glaring cracks in Gujarat Titans' wall before the play-offs

Indian Express

25-05-2025

A power-packed show with the bat and an all-round show with the ball help Chennai Super Kings end the season on a high with a win over Gujarat Titans.
A place in the play-off was long sealed but with play-offs around the corner, Gujarat now resemble a unit whose wheels are coming off. They will end the night on top-spot, but a top-two finish is not in their own hands as Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru can overtake them if they win their last league match.
When they were pummelled to the bottom of the table, there were questions on how they would get back on their feet. With mega auctions still two years away, finding players who could straightaway make a winning formula was never going to be easy. However, injuries to some players came as a blessing in disguise, forcing the franchise to look at some exciting young prospects with an eye on the future. It is safe to say they have a core to build on. With Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Dewald Brevis showing Chennai what they were missing, rebuilding the team ahead of next season doesn't sound all that challenging.
It is not as if Chennai can't bat the way the top, modern T20 teams do. They were just missing the personnel, with a few of their batsmen collectively struggling for form. Mhatre, from the time he came on, has breathed some fresh air at the top. Sunday was no different. On a sweltering hot afternoon in Ahmedabad where the temperature touched 400 C, he was red hot.
The word 'fear' isn't in their dictionary 🔥#CSK's young guns Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel added to the Ahmedabad heat with their knocks 👏
Updates ▶ https://t.co/P6Px72jm7j#TATAIPL | #GTvCSK | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/KcM4XW9peg
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 25, 2025
The first 12 deliveries of the contest were all faced by Mhatre, who after getting off the mark with a boundary in the first over, scored 28 in the second over by Arshad Khan. His stay lasted only 18 deliveries, but those 34 runs put Gujarat under early pressure, which the rest of Chennai's in-form batsmen latched on.
Urvil Patel may have his shortcomings, but T20s is the format he is most comfortable with. The strength of his batting lies in his hitting arc, which is mostly on the leg-side. With minimal movement and fast hands, he can inflict quick damage and with the Gujarat attack continuing to struggle, Chennai went about having fun, which they have rarely done this season. With Devon Conway playing a typically, effective innings, there was no shortage of boundaries and sixes as run-rate kept soaring to over 11 runs an over. Like Mhatre, Urvil lasted 19 to make 37 as Conway maintained his own pace even as Shivam Dube came and went to cap off a disappointing season for him.
Once Conway departed after making 52 off 35 deliveries, it was Brevis' show all the way. For a team that has missed firepower in the middle-order owing to Dube's struggles, Brevis has provided them the impetus, showing he will have a huge role to play going forward as he brought out another characteristic knock of 57 off 23 deliveries which included five sixes and four boundaries. From the time he joined the franchise midway, the South African has provided firepower in the middle-overs, taking down spinners and pacers with equal disdain. On Sunday, it was no different as he effortlessly kept punishing any delivery that landed in his hitting zone. With his head down and meeting the ball under the eyeline, he can effortlessly send the ball the distance and with the exception to Prasidh Krishna, rest of Gujarat's attack struggled for second successive outing, conceding a mammoth 230/5.
Chasing that big a target, they endured another night where the top order failed to make a substantial score. Right through the campaign, their top-order has been winning games for them. When they failed, the middle order could not muster any fight. But Chennai, like Mumbai, troubled Gujarat early on and exposed a major chink that teams would look to exploit.
Pulling back things the Jadeja way 💛
The #CSK spinner brings them back on 🔝 with a double-wicket over 🫡
Updates ▶ https://t.co/P6Px72jm7j#TATAIPL | #GTvCSK | @ChennaiIPL | @imjadeja pic.twitter.com/8MHhmlZnAP
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 25, 2025
Needing to hit top gears, Gujarat's intent was risky. Chennai's new-ball pair, who had looked the part, caused trouble early on. Anshul Kamboj had Shubman Gill edge one to slip in the third over before Khaleel Ahmed saw the back of Jos Buttler in the next over. By the time Kamboj removed Sherfane Rutherford in the next over, the chase was as good as over in the powerplay itself. After a strong finish with the bat, this was the start that Chennai needed with the ball.
With powerplay yielding only 35 runs for the loss of three wickets, B Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan did put up a fight, putting together 55 runs for the fourth wicket off 34 deliveries. Apart from that partnership, which appeared the lone bright spot, nothing else went Gujarat's way. And just as they appeared to hit the top gear, Ravindra Jadeja sent back both in the same over before the rest of Gujarat batting – that looked unstoppable just a week back – came crashing down to be dismissed for 147. Noor Ahmad, who started the season on a strong note, finished with three wickets to keep the Purple Cap as Chennai, which began the season with a win, ended with one.
Brief Scores: CSK 230/5 (D Brevis 57 off 23b, D Conway 52 off 35b) beat GT 147 in 18.3 overs (BS Sudharsan 41 off 28b; A Kamboj 3/13, N Ahmed 3/21 ) by 83 runs.