Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans Timeline

The Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans timeline is IPL's most perfectly balanced young rivalry: 4-4 across 8 matches since GT's 2022 debut. CSK brought 5 titles and 15 years of championship DNA; GT brought fearless ambition, winning their debut season and reaching consecutive finals. The statistical equilibrium masks a deeper story: CSK's playoff dominance (winning the 2023 Qualifier 1 and the Final) versus GT's record-breaking league-stage cricket (including the highest opening partnership in IPL history in 2024).

The 2023 IPL Final defines this rivalry and much of modern IPL history. Started May 28, no ball bowled due to rain. Resumed May 29 after another lengthy delay. Finished at 1:35 AM on May 30 technically three calendar days for a T20 match. Ravindra Jadeja's six and four off the last two balls completed one of IPL's most extraordinary finishes. GT's Sai Sudharsan scored 96 off 47 balls against his hometown franchise. In 2024, Sudharsan and Shubman Gill opened with back-to-back centuries and 210 runs the joint-highest opening stand in IPL history. This rivalry produces cricket that echoes long after the final ball.

CSK vs GT Head-to-Head Stats

All Matches: CSK vs GT Timeline (2022-2026)

IPL 2022: GT's Debut Dominance — Miller's Masterclass

GT entered IPL 2022 alongside LSG as expansion franchises. Their first encounter with the five-time champions CSK, on April 17 at MCA Stadium, Pune, produced an instant classic.

Miller's Miracle (94* off 51 balls)

CSK posted 169/5 in 20 overs — Ruturaj Gaikwad (73 off 48) and Ambati Rayudu (46 off 31) the key contributors, with Jadeja finishing with 22* off 12. GT's chase fell apart quickly: 16/3, then 48/4. Hardik Pandya was absent through injury, with Rashid Khan captaining in his place.

At that point, with 121 needed from 78 balls, David Miller walked in and produced one of the great late-order IPL rescues. He scored 94* off 51 balls — the vast majority of GT's required runs. With 48 needed from 18 balls in the 18th over, Rashid Khan joined him and hit Chris Jordan for 6, 6, 4, 6 — 22 runs from the over. Jordan was handed the final over despite leaking runs; Miller steered GT home with 1 ball remaining. GT won by 3 wickets in 19.5 overs. Miller was unbeaten at the end, never giving CSK a chance at his wicket.

GT repeated their dominance later in 2022, completing a 2-0 sweep before going on to win their debut IPL title — only the second franchise after CSK (2008) to win the championship in their first season.

IPL 2024: CSK's Chepauk Demolition

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — March 26, 2024

The first meeting of the 2024 season produced CSK's most dominant performance in this rivalry until that point. GT, captained by Shubman Gill, chose to bowl first at Chepauk — the same decision they had made in the 2023 final — and were punished in equal measure.

Shivam Dube (51 off 23 balls: 2 fours, 5 sixes) tore through GT's bowling with explosive middle-over hitting. Ruturaj Gaikwad (46 off 36) and Rachin Ravindra (46 off 20) set the platform in the powerplay, and CSK posted 206/6. In reply, GT collapsed to 143/8 — Sudharsan's 37 was their only meaningful contribution. Deepak Chahar removed Gill early (8 off 5), and CSK's bowlers applied sustained pressure throughout. CSK won by 63 runs — handing GT their biggest defeat in IPL history at that point. Dube was Player of the Match.

IPL 2024: The Dual Centuries That Broke Records

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad — May 10, 2024

Before the 2023 final's drama can be fully understood, the 2024 rematch must be visited — because it produced a performance unlike anything this rivalry (or indeed the IPL) had previously seen.

GT captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan opened together and produced the joint-highest opening partnership in IPL history: 210 runs. Both made centuries from different angles — Gill (104 off 55) more authoritative; Sudharsan (103 off 51) more explosive. Both had been dismissed by Tushar Deshpande within five balls of each other, but their combined damage was already done.

GT posted 231/3 — the highest total in this fixture's history. CSK fought back: Daryl Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) added substance, and MS Dhoni provided a late cameo. But 196/8 was too short; GT won by 35 runs.

Sudharsan's century was his maiden IPL hundred. Combined with his 96 in the 2023 final, it made him the defining individual batter of this rivalry — consecutive dominant performances in the biggest CSK-GT matches.

IPL 2023 Final: Jadeja's 1:35 AM Miracle

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad — May 28-30, 2023

Day 1 (May 28): No ball bowled. Rain. The ground staff worked through the evening with no result. Day 2 (May 29): Rain delayed the start for hours. GT batted, then rain again at the innings break. Day 3: The chase finally completed just after 1:35 AM on May 30 — the latest finish in IPL history, and arguably its most dramatic.

Gujarat Titans Innings (214/4 in 20 overs)

Shubman Gill (39 off 20) and Wriddhiman Saha (54 off 39) gave GT a flying start — 62/0 after 6 overs. Gill was run out when he strayed out of his crease, Dhoni's lightning glovework completing the dismissal, with Jadeja's throw providing the assist. That brought in Sai Sudharsan — the 21-year-old Chennai boy, facing his hometown franchise in the biggest game of his career.

Sudharsan scored 96 off 47 balls — the third-highest score in IPL final history. His assault on Matheesha Pathirana was the innings' defining period, taking the Sri Lankan for four sixes in particular. He hit six sixes in total. Saha, batting at the other end, was eventually dismissed for 54 — caught behind off a Deepak Chahar slower ball (leg cutter). Hardik Pandya finished with 21. GT posted 214/4 — the highest total in an IPL final at that time.

Rain Interruption and the DLS Target

Rain during the innings break forced a reduction. The DLS target: 171 from 15 overs for CSK. Aggressive from ball one was not optional — it was the only strategy.

CSK's Chase — Ball by Ball, Over by Over

The Platform (Overs 1-6): Ruturaj Gaikwad (26 off 16) and Devon Conway (47 off 25) gave CSK an electric start. Both openers were then dismissed in the same over by Noor Ahmad — Gaikwad first, then Conway — leaving CSK needing controlled aggression through the middle.

The Middle Phase: Ajinkya Rahane (27 off 13) and Shivam Dube — who came in as Impact Player — (32* off 21) maintained the required rate with smart, purposeful hitting. By the penultimate over, CSK needed 21 from 12 balls.

Mohammed Shami's Penultimate Over: Shami (who had taken 4/24 in the league-stage Qualifier 1) conceded only 8 runs in the 14th over. Equation: 13 needed from 6 balls, Mohit Sharma to bowl.

Ambati Rayudu's Final IPL Innings: Walking out earlier in the chase, Rayudu had told teammates he would win the final for them. That confidence materialized into two stunning sixes and swift scoring — a 19-ball 8-ball knock (19 off 8) that featured the second six smashed over extra cover off an into-the-wicket slower ball designed to rob him of his balance. Rayudu kept his and dispatched it cleanly. He was then caught off Mohit, and MS Dhoni came in — and was out next ball for a golden duck, caught at extra cover. Two wickets in two balls. Yet 17 runs had come in those balls too. The equation: 13 needed from 6.

Mohit's Four Yorkers: Mohit nailed four consecutive yorkers — unhittable, perfectly executed, compressing everything down to 10 needed off 2 balls. The crowd was silent. GT believed. CSK fans braced.

Ball 5: Jadeja, Six Mohit missed his yorker. Jadeja launched it over long-on for six.

Ball 6: Jadeja, Four A low full toss down leg side. Jadeja swung it to fine leg. Four. CSK won by 5 wickets (DLS method).

The Celebration — 1:35 AM

What followed was rare. MS Dhoni, who had scored a golden duck and watched the final from the dugout until Jadeja's six, walked onto the field and wrapped his arms around Jadeja. He lifted him completely off the ground — an embrace that became one of IPL's most iconic images, the expressionless captain visibly overcome.

Jadeja: "Want to dedicate this win to one of the special members of our team — MS Dhoni."

Dhoni, later, on whether he would play another year: "If you circumstantially see, it's the best time to announce the retirement. The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire." He did not retire. The image of Dhoni lifting Jadeja into the air was partly responsible for that.

Sudharsan, from the losing dressing room: "Still get goosebumps when I think about the standing ovation."

CSK's fifth title equalled Mumbai Indians' record. The trophy was handed to Rayudu and Jadeja to lift together — one final innings for Rayudu, one defining over for Jadeja.

IPL 2025: CSK's Statement Victory

CSK's 83-run win in 2025 produced the rivalry's most comprehensive margin — reversing the weight of the 2024 Ahmedabad defeat. While specific details from this match continue to develop, the scoreline confirmed that the 4-4 balance masks genuine swings in form between these sides. No partnership or individual performance in 2025 matched the scale of the 2024 dual centuries or the 2023 final — but the 83-run margin reminded GT that CSK's playoff-stage ruthlessness doesn't disappear in league encounters.

Notable Records in CSK vs GT Rivalry

Individual Performances

Team Records

Finals Records (2023)

Head-to-Head: Top Performers

Top Batsmen

1. Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK): 350 runs — the leading run-scorer in this rivalry. His captaincy innings and consistent contributions (including a 73 in the 2022 first meeting that wasn't enough) define CSK's batting in this fixture.

2. Sai Sudharsan (GT): Already approaching 300 runs in just 8 matches. His 96 in the 2023 Final remains the highest score in IPL final history outside Watson's 117* and Saha's 115*. His 103 off 51 in the 2024 match (with his opening partner Gill also making a century) made him the defining batter across both rivalries' biggest moments.

3. Shubman Gill (GT): His 104 off 55 in the 2024 opening stand created the joint-highest IPL opening partnership alongside Sudharsan. His 39 off 20 in the 2023 final provided the early momentum that set up GT's historic total.

4. Devon Conway (CSK): 47 off 25 in the 2023 final was the most important innings in CSK's chase — providing the platform from which Rahane, Dube, and Jadeja could finish.

5. David Miller (GT): His 94* off 51 in the 2022 Pune encounter — rescuing GT from 48/4, finishing the match with 1 ball remaining — was one of the great individual rescue acts in this rivalry's short history.
   

Top Bowlers

1. Mohit Sharma (GT): 9 wickets in just 4 matches — the leading wicket-taker in this fixture by match efficiency. His 3/36 in the 2023 final (including four consecutive yorkers) almost won GT the championship; his 1/36 at Chepauk in 2024 and key spells across three seasons make him GT's most impactful bowler against CSK.

2. Rashid Khan (GT): 8 wickets across this rivalry — his economy rarely above 8 creates pressure across the middle overs even when he doesn't take wickets. He also contributed 40 off 21 with the bat in the 2022 Pune match, helping Miller finish the job.

3. Matheesha Pathirana (CSK): 8 wickets across the rivalry, despite being on the receiving end of Sudharsan's assault in the 2023 final. His yorker accuracy and death-over skill have been CSK's most potent bowling threat in this fixture.

4. Mohit Sharma (GT): His 3/36 in the 2023 final included four consecutive unhittable yorkers in the last over — before Jadeja's responses — that almost won GT the championship.

5. Deepak Chahar (CSK): The man who dismissed Saha in the 2023 final's most important bowling moment, caught behind off a slower ball leg cutter. His new-ball skills have been central to CSK's early wickets in this fixture.
   

CSK vs GT: What Makes This Rivalry Special?

This rivalry distils IPL's most compelling tension: the weight of accumulated excellence versus the lightness of fearless youth. CSK's championship DNA — five titles, fifteen years of Dhoni's presence, the knowledge that they have won finals before — ran into a GT side that simply didn't know they were supposed to be intimidated.

The 2023 final is the rivalry's defining document. Three calendar days, a 1:35 AM finish, Sai Sudharsan scoring 96 against his hometown franchise, Ambati Rayudu's final IPL innings providing the penultimate act, Dhoni's golden duck the moment before the tension peaked, Mohit's four yorkers almost winning it for GT — and then Jadeja, Gujarat boy finishing for CSK against Gujarat, with a six and a four on the last two balls. The embrace between Dhoni and Jadeja that followed — rare public emotion from cricket's most expressionless captain — became one of IPL's iconic images.

But the 2024 chapter complicated the narrative. Sudharsan and Gill's 210-run opening stand — the joint-highest in IPL history — was a statement that GT's capabilities weren't just about the final; they could produce extraordinary league-stage cricket too. The combination of Gill's 104 and Sudharsan's 103 against CSK's bowling attack was the most complete batting performance in this rivalry's history. If the 2023 final proved CSK's composure in high-pressure moments, the 2024 dual centuries proved GT's ability to overwhelm at the highest level.

The geographical undertones strengthen the rivalry. Chennai vs Gujarat. Sudharsan — born and raised in Chennai — scoring his best IPL innings against CSK. Jadeja — born in Gujarat — winning the final for CSK against GT. Two players from the wrong teams in their personal geographies, creating narratives that only sport can produce.

Conclusion

The Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans timeline is 8 matches of contrasting excellence, tied 4-4 and overflowing with defining individual moments. GT's debut dominance (2022 title, Miller's 94* rescue), CSK's 2023 final at 1:35 AM (Jadeja's six and four, Dhoni's golden duck, Sudharsan's 96), and GT's 2024 historic dual centuries (Gill 104, Sudharsan 103, 210-run IPL record stand) have established this as one of cricket's richest young rivalries. Gaikwad's 350 runs versus Rashid's 9 wickets frame the contest statistically. Pathirana and Mohit frame it with the ball. And that embrace — Dhoni lifting Jadeja at 1:35 AM in Ahmedabad — frames its heart.