Key contests to look forward to in the IPL 2023 final (Sportzpix)
Here are the key matches to look forward to in the IPL 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
The stage is set for the two best teams from the group stage – Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings to clash once again, but this time with the IPL 2023 trophy at stake. Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni locked horns in the season opener, then again in Qualifier 2, and the battle for supremacy is all set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The Gujarat Titans will have the home advantage but considering the massive Dhoni fan following, it won’t be surprising if the Narendra Modi Stadium sees a sea of yellow on Sunday.
Here are the key matches to look forward to in the IPL 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
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Shubman Gill vs Deepak Chahar
The Gujarat Titans opener has been in scintillating form with three centuries in the last four IPL matches and the onus will be on him to fire once again in the final. However, he will have a tough challenge in Chennai Super Kings, who managed to stop him even before a century in the last four innings. He scored 42 in Qualifier 2 and was bettered by Deepak Chahar. It will be a tough task for the swing specialists to get the better of Gill with the new ball in the final to give CSK a big advantage.
Devon Conway vs Mohammed Shami
The New Zealand batsman has been incredible this season and has scored consistently well for CSK but the only team against whom he has struggled a bit are the defending champions. The southpaw was dismissed for 1 in the first match of the season, while in Qualifier 1 vs Gujarat Titans he looked a bit poor during his 40-run innings. Interestingly, on both the occasions he was dismissed by Mohammed Shami. The premier GT pacer is currently leading the race for the Purple Cap and once again he will be shouldering the responsibility of providing early success for his team in the summit clash.
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Shivam Dube vs Rashid Khan
Shivam Dube has improved a lot since joining Chennai Super Kings and has become a formidable power-hitter for the franchise. The southpaw has done well for the four-time IPL champions this season and has displayed his six-hitting abilities in every other match. He has hit a total of 33 sixes so far this season and would like to hit a few more sixes in the final. But he is going to face a tough challenge from the world’s best spinner Rashid Khan, who continues to spin his web around the batsmen in this tournament. The Afghan all-rounder has taken 27 wickets this season and has been his strength in the middle overs.
hardik pandya vs ms dhoni
MS Dhoni will face his protégé Hardik Pandya in the final. Dhoni is arguably the best captain in Indian cricket history, while Pandya has been tipped to lead the Men in Blue for the white-ball formats in the years to come. Pandya has impressed many with his captaincy abilities since becoming the captain of Gujarat Titans last season. His calm and composed demeanor is often compared to Dhoni who went on to create a great legacy as a captain for both India and CSK. The two players have faced each other twice this season, with Hardik winning the first battle while Dhoni made a comeback in the qualifiers and it will be time for them to clash in the battle for supremacy.
