BCCI Swaps GT vs CSK Venues — April 26 to Chennai, May 21 to Ahmedabad

The BCCI has confirmed a venue swap for two GT vs CSK fixtures in IPL 2026. The changes are straightforward:

Match 37 — April 26, 3:30 PM IST
Originally: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Now: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Reverse fixture — May 21, 7:30 PM IST
Originally: M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Now: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Both teams still play each other twice — the home-away allocation is simply flipped. GT's home game becomes an away trip to Chennai in April, and CSK's home fixture becomes an away game at Motera in May.

The swap is driven by the Navratri festival, which is celebrated on a massive scale across Gujarat. With large-scale public events, garba nights, and city-wide festivities happening in Ahmedabad around late April, hosting an IPL match at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium presents significant logistical and security challenges.

Rather than trying to manage both — or risk low turnout with fans prioritising festivities — the BCCI opted for a clean venue swap. Chennai picks up the April 26 match, and Ahmedabad gets the May 21 game when the calendar is clearer.

This kind of pragmatic fixture adjustment isn't new. The BCCI has previously moved matches to accommodate state elections, religious festivals, and venue availability issues. It's scheduling common sense.

For Gujarat Titans: They lose a home game in April but gain one in May. The Narendra Modi Stadium surface in May tends to be drier and slower — which could actually benefit GT's spin options. However, playing at Chepauk in April means navigating one of the most spin-friendly surfaces in the IPL, away from home.

For Chennai Super Kings: CSK get an unexpected home game in April — always welcome for a team that draws massive energy from the Chepauk crowd. The trade-off is an away trip to Motera in May, where the massive boundaries and slow surface could neutralise CSK's batting approach.

From a points table perspective, neither team gains or loses an advantage — the number of home and away games remains the same. But the conditions they face in each will be markedly different from what was originally planned.

We've updated our match preview models and editorial content to reflect the new venues. Win probability calculations for both fixtures will now factor in the correct venue data — Chepauk's spin-friendly averages for April 26, and Motera's batting conditions for May 21.

If you're using CricIntel Pro for Dream XI picks, note that venue-specific player recommendations will change accordingly. Spinners gain value for the April 26 clash at Chepauk; power hitters become more relevant for the May 21 game at Motera.

Want updated win probabilities and Dream XI picks for the rescheduled fixtures? Get CricIntel Pro — our models recalculate as venue data changes, so you always get the most current predictions.