CSK players celebrate a GT wicket during their IPL 2025 match in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 25). Photo: BCCI
CSK crush GT by 83 runs to finish IPL 2025 in style
With the loss, GT's hopes of retaining its place in the top two depend on other results
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed off from IPL 2025 with a massive 83-run victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 25).
GT have 18 points after a full set of 14 league matches and are still on top of the table despite the Net Run Rate taking a nose dive after this big defeat.
Also read: DC end season with win over PBKS
To maintain their position inside the top two, GT now require Royal Challengers Bengaluru (17 points) to go down to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their final league match.
It's important because either Mumbai Indians (16) or Punjab Kings (17 points) will overtake GT with a win from their face-off.
CSK finished their IPL 2025 engagements at the bottom of the table with eight points from 14 matches, their worst-ever finish in the 10-team league.
Early losses for GT
Cutting back to the match, once asked to chase a stiff 231, the GT floundered badly, losing in-form skipper Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, and Sherfane Rutherford in the Power Play passage itself with just 35 runs on the board.
The Gujarat side was bowled out for 147 in 18.3 overs.
Pacer Anshul Kamboj did the early damage, claiming the wickets of Gill and Rutherford.
Sai Sudharsan (41, 28b), the latest entrant into the India Test squad, and his Tamil Nadu team-mate M Shahrukh Khan (19) added 55 runs for the fourth wicket to infuse some interest into the chase.
But left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja returned for his second spell to dismiss both Sudharsan and Shahrukh in the space of four balls in the 11th over, and the match effectively ended at that point.
Conway, Brevis hit fifties
Earlier, seasoned Devon Conway and promising Dewald Brevis produced fifties of contrasting character, laying the foundation for Chennai Super Kings’ healthy 230 for five.
Once the Super Kings elected to bat in hot weather conditions, Conway and Brevis led the charge with a 52 off 35 balls, and a 23-ball 57 on a smooth pitch.
But Conway’s knock was put to shade a bit by cameos by Ayush Mhatre (34, 17b) and Urvil Patel (37, 19b), who made runs at a respective strike rate of 200 and 194, ensuring runs came at a fast clip for CSK.
The CSK raced out of the paddock, making 44 in just 3.4 overs, courtesy Mhatre’s brutal assault on pacer Arshad Khan.
Mhatre carved Arshad for 2, 6, 6, 4, 4, 6 in the second over to milk 28 runs and Chennai rarely let that momentum slip.
Mhatre, who was recently appointed as the India U19 skipper, soon fell to Prasidh Krishna, skying him to Mohammed Siraj in the deep.
Aggressive Urvil
But Urvil continued the aggressive ways, while adding 63 runs for the second wicket with Conway.
The highlight of his innings was a pick-up shot he played against veteran spinner Rashid Khan that sailed over his head for a six.
It's one thing to play that shot against pacers, but to impart timing and power to it against a spinner is totally another thing.
However, Urvil perished to left-arm spinner Sai Kishore immediately after hammering him for a six.
On the other hand, Conway showed a rare moment of aggression, launching Rashid for a six over long-on but was clean bowled in the very next ball.
But Brevis, who smashed India pacer Siraj for 6, 6, 4, justified his ‘Baby ABD’ tag to perfection, smashing GT bowlers all around the park.
The South African played a belligerent knock of his own to raise 74 runs for the entertaining fifth wicket alliance with Jadeja in which the latter contributed just 21 off 18 balls.
It was the CSK’s young batters’ final innings of this IPL, and it might have given a note of optimism for the management too for the next season.
(With agency inputs)