Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to bowl first at Chepauk, meaning Chennai Super Kings will bat first while GT chase the target.
Urvil Patel has come into CSK’s XI replacing Sarfaraz Khan, while Anshul Kamboj features alongside the spin duo of Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad.
GT have brought Arshad Khan in for tactical balance, while Shahrukh Khan features in the starting XI instead of Rahul Tewatia, signalling Gujarat’s intent to strengthen their middle order against CSK’s spin attack.
Match 37 takes place on April 26, 2026, at 3:30 PM IST at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Let’s take a look at the announced Impact Player options for both sides.
CSK Impact Player Options (Batting First)
CSK are batting first and will likely deploy a bowling reinforcement during GT’s chase to support their spin-heavy attack on Chepauk’s grippy surface.
| Player | Role | Likely Replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Sarfaraz Khan | Batter | Batsman who is out |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Bowler | Batting position |
| Prashant Veer | Bowler | Batting position |
| Ramakrishna Ghosh | Pace All-Rounder | Batting position |
| Matthew Short | Batting All-Rounder | Bowling specialist |
Sarfaraz Khan offers middle-order solidity and has experience handling spin on Indian surfaces. Mukesh Choudhary brings left-arm pace and angle variation against GT’s right-handed openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill.
Prashant Veer provides right-arm pace and could be deployed during the second innings powerplay. Ramakrishna Ghosh has been earmarked as a like-for-like replacement following Khaleel Ahmed’s quadricep injury, providing pace-bowling all-round depth.
Matthew Short offers explosive batting and handy off-spin if CSK need additional middle-order firepower.
GT Impact Player Options (Bowling First / Chasing)
GT are bowling first and will introduce a batting reinforcement during their chase to bolster the middle order against CSK’s defence.
| Player | Role | Likely Replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Rahul Tewatia | All-Rounder | Pace bowler |
| Anuj Rawat | Wicketkeeper-Batter | Lower-order cover |
| Glenn Phillips | All-Rounder | Bowling specialist |
| Kulwant Khejroliya | Bowler | Pace reinforcement |
| Nishant Sindhu | Spin All-Rounder | Middle-overs control |
Rahul Tewatia would slot in for middle-order finishing experience and part-time leg-spin variety. Anuj Rawat provides left-handed batting depth and keeper-batter flexibility at the lower order during the chase.
Glenn Phillips offers Kiwi power-hitting and useful off-spin overs against CSK’s left-handers like Shivam Dube and Akeal Hosein. Kulwant Khejroliya brings left-arm pace variation if GT need bowling reinforcement late in the chase.
Nishant Sindhu adds left-arm orthodox spin variety on Chepauk’s grippy surface.
