Is MS Dhoni playing today in Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match of IPL 2026? Check GT vs CSK playing XIs

Gujarat Titans (GT) are set to face the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Thursday (May 21). In a significant development for CSK supporters, MS Dhoni has been left out of the Playing XI, yet again, for the high-stakes encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The 44-year-old icon will not feature in what could be the final game of the team this season.

Toss update

Chennai Super Kings won the toss and elected to field first, a decision driven by early pitch conditions. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad outlined the thinking behind the move, stating: “We're gonna bowl first. Obviously, there is some pace and bounce in the pitch, and we want to exploit it early on. So that's the only reason we are bowling first.”

The home side also made two strategic changes to their lineup. Gaikwad confirmed: "We've got a couple of changes. Obviously, according to the conditions, Akeal misses out, unfortunately. And Gurjapneet comes in. And we got Matt Short playing in place of Prashant Veer." Addressing the team’s approach after a recent setback, he added, "Well, it is about keeping it simple and trusting the process. I think even the last game we gave a good fight and obviously didn't get the result that we wanted, but it is all about coming up and turning up and getting that W at the end of the day."

CSK Playing XI

Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh.

Impact substitutes: Kartik Sharma, Macneil Noronha, Sarfaraz Khan, Kuldip Yadav, Aman Khan.

Gujarat Titans Captain Shubman Gill stresses intensity and focus

Gujarat Titans, who currently sit in a strong position with a playoff qualification marker next to their name, would have also chosen to bowl first. Captain Shubman Gill explained: "We would also have chosen to bowl first as well, but it doesn't really make a difference. We have seen there's not much dew here, and I don't like to go by stats. If you go by it, batting first, teams have won more matches."

Gill announced a single change in the visiting side: "We have one change. Prasidh Krishna comes back in place of Sai Kishore." Reflecting on recent performances, he emphasised the need for sharper execution across departments: “Honestly, it's all about keeping your intensity up. We dropped some catches in the last match. And I think fielding overall we've seen in this cycle, in the last couple of IPLs as well, by all teams, it has not been on par. It has not been by the standards that each team would like. So hopefully in this game our intensity when we are bowling is right up there.”

Gujarat Titans playing XI

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (w), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj.

Impact substitutes: Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra.