Chennai Super Kings lost four wickets for just 45 runs in the powerplay against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, collapsing to 26 for three after five overs at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Gujarat won the toss and elected to bowl, exploiting early movement to dismantle Chennai’s top order before the sixth over.
Sanju Samson fell for 11 off 15 balls to Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over, becoming the first wicket. Ruturaj Gaikwad followed for a duck off two balls in the same over, edging Rabada to slip. Mohammad Siraj then removed Sarfaraz Khan for a golden duck in the fifth over, leaving Chennai reeling at 26 for three.
The fourth wicket came in the ninth over when Dewald Brevis managed only two runs off nine balls before being lbw to Marco Jansen. Chennai’s score stood at 37 for four at that point, with the powerplay yielding just 45 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Chennai’s batting lineup, led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, included experienced players like Shivam Dube and Kartik Sharma, but the top four failed to negotiate Gujarat’s pace attack. Gujarat fielded a strong bowling unit led by Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, and Kagiso Rabada, supported by impact players like Rahul Tewatia and Glenn Phillips.
For more on this story, see IPL 2026: David Miller’s Final Over Drama and Axar Patel’s Heartwarming Gesture.
MS Dhoni did not play in the match, continuing his absence from the season despite being named as a potential impact player. Batting coach Michael Hussey had earlier indicated Dhoni might return as a wicketkeeper-batsman but stressed he needed to be nearly 100% fit for peak performance, noting the player had shown good progress in practice.
Chennai had won three of their last four matches and sat fifth in the points table, while Gujarat, with a net run rate of -0.790, remained seventh. The match was part of the league stage, with both teams having completed at least half their fixtures.
Why did Chennai’s batting collapse so early in the powerplay?
Chennai’s top order fell to a combination of accurate seam bowling, early movement off the pitch, and poor shot selection, with Samson and Gaikwad both falling to Kagiso Rabada’s tight line and length.
Is MS Dhoni expected to return to play in IPL 2026?
According to batting coach Michael Hussey, Dhoni’s return depends on achieving near-full fitness, with the coach expressing hope for future appearances but emphasizing peak performance requires the player to be close to 100% fit.