Ahmedabad:

Cricket fever gripped the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday as fans from different parts of the country gathered to witness the IPL 2026 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. Despite the electrifying atmosphere, many supporters admitted that the absence of legendary wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni left a noticeable void.

Prakash Parmar, who came to watch the match, said, “This is the world’s largest cricket stadium, and we are proud of it. I expect Mohammed Siraj to shine with the ball, while Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill could dominate with the bat. But honestly, we really miss Dhoni in this game.”

Another fan, Jaivik, expressed confidence in CSK’s chances and said, “I am here to watch Chennai Super Kings win. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson can play match-winning knocks, while Gujarat Titans will rely heavily on Shubman Gill. It looks like a high-scoring game with over 200 runs on the cards.”

Nisarg, who travelled from Vadodara for the match, said, “I came specially to watch this encounter. The excitement here is unbelievable, but CSK without Dhoni feels incomplete.”

Shweta Gupta, who attended the game with her family from Pune, said, “I am supporting Gujarat Titans, while my husband is cheering for CSK. It’s going to be an exciting and high-scoring contest.”

Lakshya Chaudhary, who came from Bikaner, added, “The atmosphere is fantastic, but the biggest disappointment is not seeing Dhoni play. We hope Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson deliver a memorable performance for CSK.”

The Gujarat Titans playing XI featured Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, and Mohammed Siraj.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings lineup included Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Matthew Short, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Spencer Johnson, Mukesh Choudhary, and Gurjapneet Singh.