The stage is set for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to be held on Sunday. Gujarat Titans (GT) will vie for a second IPL trophy in as many seasons, but Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stand in their way.
IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
GT have been clinical with their all-round performance this season, while CSK, under the leadership of MS Dhoni, have instilled confidence in themselves to reach the summit clash.
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The two teams only clashed a few days back in Chennai during the Qualifier 1 contest. That day, CSK emerged victorious by 15 runs but the final can be a different ball game altogether.
Ahead of the title clash, we take a look at some key player battles that could decide the contest:
Mohammed Shami vs Ruturaj Gaikwad
Youngsters have shone in the IPL this season, and Ruturaj Gaikwad has been one of them. Gaikewad has amassed 564 runs from 15 matches this season, at a strike-rate of 146.88, with four half-century.
Against Shami, though, Gaikwad has managed just 46 runs from seven innings in the IPL at a strike-rate close to 70.
Shami, meanwhile, has been impactful with the new ball this season. He stands atop the Purple Cap standings with 28 wickets, and out of those, he has taken 15 wickets in the powerplay.
Shami’s form with the new ball makes his battle against CSK opener Gaikwad an enticing affair. Gaikwad has the tendency to hit from the word go, and it will be interesting to see his approach against the senior India pacer on Sunday.
Shubman Gill vs Deepak Chahar
Shubman Gill is in the form of his life in the IPL. He is currently the leading run-scorer with 851 runs from 16 matches, and it seems like he is only getting better with every passing match where he bats in.
Coming fresh from a 60-ball 129 on Friday, Gill will be raring to go in the final, and will come up against Deepak Chahar, who himself has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts in the second half of the IPL after suffering a hamstring injury early in the season.
Against Chahar, Shubman has faced 47 deliveries in the IPL and scored 62 runs, at a strike-rate of 131.91, and has been dismissed by Chahar only thrice in eight matches.
One of those dismissals came in the Qualifier 1 match between GT and CSK, when Gill was dismissed for 42. Facing a slow bouncer, Gill went for the pull but failed to control it, eventually being caught at fine leg.
Both are in-form cricketers for their respective sides, with Chahar having taken 12 wickets from the last five matches in the IPL, and while Gill will be looking to go big early on, his battle against Chahar could prove to be a defining moment in the title-decider.
Shivam Dube vs Rashid Khan
Shivam Dube has established himself as a power-hitter since joining Chennai Super Kings and sometimes even a finisher this season. Dube has amassed 33 sixes this season, and sits in second place for most sixes hit, behind RCB skipper Faf du Plessis (36).
However, in the final on Sunday, Dube could come up against GT’s in form spinner Rashid Khan. The Afghan has 27 wickets to his name this season, and apart from contending for the Purple Cap, Rashid will be looking to hand a few crucial blows to the opposition.
So far this season, Dube has scored 386 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 158.85, that includes three fifties. This has been his best season with the bat yet, as far as runs are concerned, and will be hoping to pile misery on the GT bowlers.
Rashid Khan, meanwhile, has been pivotal in the middle overs for GT, and it is in this exact same phase when he could come up against Dube. And although Rashid is yet to dismiss Dube in the IPL, the 24-year-old has given away just four runs in nine balls to Dube.
We all know what Rashid can do with his googly, and as has been the case this season, it will be interesting to see how Rashid uses his variations of spin in the middle overs in a bid to rattle the opposition.
CSK vs GT head-to-head
Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans have faced off on four occasions since Gujarat’s IPL debut in 2022. GT hold a 3-1 advantage, with CSK’s only win over Hardik Pandya and Co having come in Qualifier 1 of this season’s IPL playoffs.
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