🏏IPL 2023 - Final: GT vs CSK on 29/05/2023 at 7:30 PM IST🏏

🏏IPL 2023 - Final: Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 28/05/2023 at 7:30 PM IST🏏

Tag & Logo Credit: Sevenstreaks

IPL 2023 Finale day. We have landed where we have started on 31st of March 2023 with a match between CSK and GT.

IPL 2023 comes full circle as wily CSK face defending champs Titans at Motera

We're back to where we began this season, with the same two teams facing off - one looking to embellish a fabulous record, the other eyeing a new era of dominance

Dhoni vs Hardik, one more time

IPL 2023 has come full circle. The season started with Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans taking on MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. In the final on Sunday, the two teams will once again be face-to-face at the same venue.

Titans had come out on top in the opening game. Earlier this week, CSK levelled the score with a comprehensive win in Qualifier 1. But that match was played on a slow, spinning surface in Chennai. The pitches in Ahmedabad have been much more batter-friendly, with the ball coming onto the bat nicely.

Moreover, CSK have lost all three games they have played in Ahmedabad so far. This is the only venue in the IPL where they have played at least three games and are yet to register a win. Titans, meanwhile, have six wins in nine outings here.

Having said that, CSK will be looking to embellish their already fabulous record; they are the second-most successful team in the tournament's history. One more trophy and they will draw level with Mumbai Indians with five. On the other side, Titans will be keen to establish their dominance. They surprised everyone by emerging as champions in their debut season. They will be focused on making it two in two.

Apart from this being a battle between two sides built around the same philosophy - of keeping things simple, backing their players, and creating a relaxed team environment - there is the sub-plot of Hardik, the protégé, looking to trump Dhoni, the mentor.

Sunday's game will be Dhoni's 11th IPL final (his tenth with CSK); no player has featured in more. Hardik has been a part of five before 2023; he has never finished on the losing side. Hardik has always said he has learnt a lot, not just about cricket but also life, from Dhoni. Sunday evening will be a test of all that he has learnt over the years.

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans Pitch Report

A high-scoring clash awaits as the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to offer a batting-friendly surface for the game. The batters can trust the pace and bounce off the pitch and go after the bowlers right from the first ball. However, the bowlers need to be very precise with their lines and lengths.

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans Weather Forecast

The temperature in Ahmedabad on Sunday is expected to hover around 29 to 40 degree Celsius. The match is expected to proceed without any disturbance from the rain.

Pitch and conditions: Win the toss and bat?

Ahmedabad has been a high-scoring venue this season, with an average first-innings total of 193 across eight games. Five of those games have been won by the team batting first.

Overall this IPL, teams batting first have been more successful, winning 40 games and losing 32 so far. Given it's the final, and dew is not expected to play a big role, both Titans and CSK may prefer having runs on the board.

The weather is expected to be cloudy but there is no serious rain threat.

Form guide - (last five matches, most recent first)

Gujarat Titans WLWWL

Chennai Super Kings WWLWW

Team news: No injury concerns

Coming into Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians, Hardik had not bowled in the previous four matches. With him having rolled his arm over against Mumbai, there are no known injury concerns in either camp.

Impact Player strategy: Sticking to the template

Both teams are expected to be unchanged. One of Shubman Gill and Josh Little will be Titans' Impact Player, depending on whether they are bowling first or batting. For CSK, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana are likely to be in similar roles.

Gujarat Titans (probable 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 Super Kings (probable 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

• Mohammed Shami has a favourable match-up against Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad. He has dismissed Conway three times in three innings, with the batter managing just five runs across 12 balls. Gaikwad has never fallen to Shami but has scored at a strike rate of just 69.69 (46 off 66 balls) against him. Moreover, Shami has a great record in Ahmedabad this season: 17 wickets in eight games at an economy of 6.77.
• Rashid Khan's T20 numbers against Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu are not that impressive. Gaikwad has struck at 147.36 (84 off 57) against him, albeit while falling to him twice in six encounters. While Rayudu's strike rate is much lower (124.65), Rashid has managed to dismiss him only once in 73 deliveries.
• Titans can counter Rayudu with Mohit Sharma. The seamer has dismissed him six times in 44 balls for just 54 runs. Dhoni, meanwhile, has scored 48 off 24 balls against Mohit for two dismissals.
• Ravindra Jadeja bowled David Miller for 4 in Qualifier 1 but overall, Miller has an excellent record against him: 121 runs at a strike rate of 168.05 for two dismissals. Jadeja has never dismissed Gill either in T20 cricket; the batter has scored 68 off 48 against him at a strike rate of 141.66.
• Maheesh Theekshana has been more penetrative in away games this IPL. In Chennai, he has picked up just three wickets in seven games. At away venues, he has eight wickets from five outings.
• Gill needs 123 runs to break Virat Kohli's record of most runs in an IPL season.
• Shami (28), Rashid (27) and Mohit (24) are the top three wicket-takers this IPL. Shami, in fact, is five wickets away from breaking Dwanye Bravo and Harshal Patel's record of most wickets in a single season.

Quotes

"We have been confident when we have chased, but we have also defended some probably par and below-par total totals. Our bowling attack has, at times, played its part too. Not just this year but last year as well. So it's not just the case that if we chase then we are more competitive. We are confident that the balance we have within the group allows us the opportunity to win if we play to our potential, whether it is batting first or batting second."

Titans' director of cricket Vikram Solanki

"We are realistic about how difficult it is to get to this stage. That's why we are proud of our record of being consistent over a period of time. We have been able to put performances together under pressure when we have been in form or out of form or when we have got new players. The greatest challenge of this competition is when you get a new team that's going really well and you have got to disband and you can only keep four players. The fact that we have been able to stay consistent with those rules in place is something we look back very proudly on."

CSK head coach Stephen Fleming

BATTERS TO WATCH(recent stats)

Shubman Gill, GT

10 M • 623 Runs • 77.87 Avg • 164.37 SR

Hardik Pandya, GT

10 M • 210 Runs • 35 Avg • 143.83 SR

Devon Conway, CSK

10 M • 444 Runs • 63.42 Avg • 132.93 SR

Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK

10 M • 364 Runs • 40.44 Avg • 145.01 SR

BOWLERS TO WATCH(recent stats)

Mohit Sharma, GT

10 M • 20 Wkts • 8.79 Econ • 9.65 SR

Mohammed Shami, GT

10 M • 18 Wkts • 7.89 Econ • 13 SR

Matheesha Pathirana, CSK

10 M • 15 Wkts • 7.43 Econ • 15.33 SR

Ravindra Jadeja, CSK

10 M • 13 Wkts • 7.58 Econ • 16.61 SR

Team Watch

Chennai Super Kings

Tactics & Matchups: Deepak Chahar is one of the rare bowlers who has had some success against Shubman Gill. The seamer has dismissed the in-form GT opener thrice in 47 balls, while conceding 62 runs, in IPL. His spell upfront will be the key for CSK. Similarly, the out-of-form Ambati Rayudu, could have a role to play in countering Rashid Khan in the middle overs. The batter has scored 91 runs off the leggie in 73 balls, getting dismissed only once.

Probable XII: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana

Gujarat Titans

Tactics & Matchups: Mohammed Shami has dismissed Devon Conway thrice in 12 balls, conceding only 5 runs. He could be the key to give GT the early impetus. On the batting front, Gill will continue to be their trump card. If he manages to start well, he can be effective against Ravindra Jadeja, who hasn't dismissed him in 48 balls.

Probable XII: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, Sai Sudarshan, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Josh Little

When: Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023 Final, Sunday, May 28, 2023, 7:30 PM IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

What to expect: Even as the weather is expected to be mostly sunny and dry, the possibility of brief showers hasn't been ruled out. A day ahead of the game, Vikram Solanki has stated that the pitch is expected to be friendly for scoring runs.

Did You Know:

- This match will be MS Dhoni's 250th appearance in IPL - the first player to achieve the milestone.

- Ruturaj Gaikwad has scored a half-century in each of the four encounters against Gujarat Titans

- Shubman Gill needs 122 runs to equal Virat Kohli's record of most runs (973) in an IPL season