Massive image: Dhoni vs Hardik, yet one more time
IPL 2023 has come full circle. The season began with Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans taking over MS Dhoni’s Chennai Tremendous Kings in Ahmedabad. Within the ultimate on Sunday, the 2 groups will as soon as once more be face-to-face on the identical venue.
Furthermore, CSK have misplaced all three video games they’ve performed in Ahmedabad thus far. That is the one venue within the IPL the place they’ve performed not less than three video games and are but to register a win. Titans, in the meantime, have six wins in 9 outings right here.
Having stated that, CSK will probably be seeking to embellish their already fabulous document; they’re the second-most profitable workforce within the event’s historical past. Yet another trophy and they’ll draw stage with Mumbai Indians with 5. On the opposite facet, Titans will probably be eager to ascertain their dominance. They shocked everybody by rising as champions of their debut season. They are going to be centered on making it two in two.
Other than this being a battle between two sides constructed across the identical philosophy – of preserving issues easy, backing their gamers, and making a relaxed workforce atmosphere – there’s the sub-plot of Hardik, the protégé, seeking to trump Dhoni, the mentor.
Sunday’s sport will probably be Dhoni’s eleventh IPL ultimate (his tenth with CSK); no participant has featured in additional. Hardik has been part of 5 earlier than 2023; he has by no means completed on the dropping facet. Hardik has all the time stated he has learnt loads, not nearly cricket but additionally life, from Dhoni. Sunday night will probably be a check of all that he has learnt over time.
Type information
Gujarat Titans WLWWL (final 5 matches, most up-to-date first)Chennai Tremendous Kings WWLWW
Crew information: No harm issues
Coming into Qualifier 2 towards Mumbai Indians, Hardik had not bowled within the earlier 4 matches. With him having rolled his arm over towards Mumbai, there aren’t any recognized harm issues in both camp.
Influence Participant technique: Sticking to the template
Each groups are anticipated to be unchanged. One in all Shubman Gill and Josh Little will probably be Titans’ Influence Participant, relying on whether or not they’re bowling first or batting. For CSK, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana are prone to be in comparable roles.
Gujarat Titans (possible XII): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Sai Sudharsan, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 David Miller, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Rahul Tewatia, 9 Noor Ahmed, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mohammed Shami, 12 Josh Little
Chennai Tremendous Kings (possible XII): 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Shivam Dube, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Ambati Rayudu, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Maheesh Theekshana, 12 Matheesha Pathirana
Stats that matter: Shami vs CSK openers
Rashid Khan’s T20 numbers towards Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu should not that spectacular. Gaikwad has struck at 147.36 (84 off 57) towards him, albeit whereas falling to him twice in six encounters. Whereas Rayudu’s strike fee is way decrease (124.65), Rashid has managed to dismiss him solely as soon as in 73 deliveries.
Titans can counter Rayudu with Mohit Sharma. The seamer has dismissed him six instances in 44 balls for simply 54 runs. Dhoni, in the meantime, has scored 48 off 24 balls towards Mohit for 2 dismissals.
Ravindra Jadeja bowled David Miller for 4 in Qualifier 1 however total, Miller has a superb document towards him: 121 runs at a strike fee of 168.05 for 2 dismissals. Jadeja has by no means dismissed Gill both in T20 cricket; the batter has scored 68 off 48 towards him at a strike fee of 141.66.
Maheesh Theekshana has been extra penetrative in away video games this IPL. In Chennai, he has picked up simply three wickets in seven video games. At away venues, he has eight wickets from 5 outings.
Gill wants 123 runs to interrupt Virat Kohli’s document of most runs in an IPL season.
Shami (28), Rashid (27) and Mohit (24) are the highest three wicket-takers this IPL. Shami, the truth is, is 5 wickets away from breaking Dwanye Bravo and Harshal Patel’s document of most wickets in a single season.
Shubman Gill is chasing down Virat Kohli’s document for probably the most runs in an IPL season•Related Press
Pitch and circumstances: Win the toss and bat?
The climate is predicted to be cloudy however there is no such thing as a severe rain risk.
The large query
Will Gujarat Titans win their second successive IPL title?
3.9K votes
Sure, they’ve residence benefit as effectively
Quotes
“We’ve got been assured when we’ve chased, however we’ve additionally defended some most likely par and below-par complete totals. Our bowling assault has, at instances, performed its half too. Not simply this yr however final yr as effectively. So it isn’t simply the case that if we chase then we’re extra aggressive. We’re assured that the stability we’ve throughout the group permits us the chance to win if we play to our potential, whether or not it’s batting first or batting second.”Titans’ director of cricket Vikram Solanki
“We’re life like about how troublesome it’s to get to this stage. That is why we’re pleased with our document of being constant over a time period. We’ve got been in a position to put performances collectively beneath stress when we’ve been in kind or off form or when we’ve acquired new gamers. The best problem of this competitors is whenever you get a brand new workforce that is going very well and you’ve got to disband and you may solely maintain 4 gamers. The truth that we’ve been in a position to keep in line with these guidelines in place is one thing we glance again very proudly on.”CSK head coach Stephen Fleming
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
