The action-packed 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will conclude on Sunday with the IPL 2023 final clash between defending champions, Gujarat Titans, and the most consistent team in the tournament i.e., Chennai Super Kings.
A man who made his debut under the veteran MS Dhoni will be squaring up against him for the championship match and there couldn’t be a better script written for Hardik Pandya.
For someone who always admired MS Dhoni, there couldn’t be a bigger motivation for Hardik Pandya to exhibit his best performance on Sunday and lead his side to a second consecutive title in the Indian Premier League.
How have the two teams fared so far this season?
Chennai Super Kings:
Chennai Super Kings finished in second spot behind Gujarat at the end of the league stage but comfortably beat them in Qualifier 1 to book their slot in the final.
Once again, Chennai Super Kings, who weren’t rated highly by the experts, have made their way into the final. However, the biggest challenge for them lies on Sunday as they won’t be playing at their home but at Gujarat’s den.
The Narendra Modi Stadium has been a batting paradise and the fans could be expecting another high-scoring encounter on Sunday. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway should get the team off to a good start.
Chennai needs to be mindful of scoring at a great pace as Gujarat has managed to notch 200-plus totals pretty easily at this ground on various occasions. Given the fact that Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed are bowling pretty well, the onus would also be on the shoulders of Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu, who are good players of spin.
The latter hasn’t had a great season but all would be forgotten if he manages to play a big knock on the big day. Chennai have a pretty good bowling unit but bowling at Narendra Modi Stadium, would be a difficult task.
Deepak Chahar will be having a big role to play as he is the only bowler in the team who has a good record against Gill. He has gotten him out on a few occasions and took his wicket in the qualifier 1 as well. If he manages to get Gill out early in the powerplay, Chennai will have won half of the battle.
Pathirana missed his lengths in the last game but he can’t afford to do the same mistakes against a powerful batting line-up of Gujarat on Sunday.
Gujarat Titans:
Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans are doing nothing wrong at the moment. After losing to CSK in Qualifier 1, Gujarat hammered 233 runs against Mumbai in Qualifier 2.
Shubman Gill has been the standout batter for them and is the big reason behind Gujarat’s sensational season. He has hit three centuries in the last week and has smashed 851 runs in 16 matches at 60.79 this season. One more century from him could help Gujarat lift another trophy.
Saha, though, has been short of runs, of late, but it isn’t a major concern for Gujarat as the middle order is in good form. What makes them a dangerous side is the fact that their bowling is as good as their batting.
Rashid Khan has been their go-to bowler and, once again, has been instrumental in their wins. He took the important wicket of Tilak Varma in the last game, who was firing on all cylinders. His four overs are, unarguably, key to the team’s fortunes.
Having said that, the likes of Shami, Noor Ahmed and Joshua Little have been equally brilliant. One more big positive for them is the form of Mohit Sharma, who has been a revelation for them. He picked a five-wicket haul in the last match and is riding high on confidence.
Shami, Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma are, currently, the top three wicket-takers in Indian Premier League and there’s nothing more you can expect from the bowling unit as a team in such a big tournament.
Final Verdict:
The fact that the final is slated to be played at Gujarat’s happy hunting ground and looking at the current form of the players, Hardik Pandya-led team should go as favourites.
However, if there’s one thing that can stop them from lifting their second title, it is MS Dhoni’s cricketing brain. How he manages his troops and performs behind the wickets in the big game could play a role in the outcome of the game.
Here’s a look at the predicted playing XIs of both teams for the IPL 2023 Final:
Chennai Super Kings (CSK):
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk/c), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana
Gujarat Titans (GT):
Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami
Also Read: CSK, GT Set For IPL 2023 Final Clash; Prize Money Unveiled
