It’s a battle between four-time winners armed with experience and defending champions capable of becoming an all-conquering force. It’s a battle between one of the most successful white-ball captains and an emerging leader improving with every outing. It’s a battle between a bowling unit comprising the ingenuity of two young Sri Lankans and an attack that has all its bases covered. It’s also a battle between two supremely enterprising Indian openers.
Whichever way you look, Tuesday’s IPL Qualifier 1 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at Chepauk has all the makings of a humdinger. That the winner will earn a spot in the final of IPL 2023 is only one of the ingredients lending primacy to the contest.
In front of what should be a jam-packed stadium, it may boil down to the team that holds its nerve at the end. Or the one that has more of its players rising to the high-octane occasion.
There’s also home advantage to consider. Most CSK players have the luxury of familiarity with the conditions, and knowing that they win more than they lose here. They haven’t been invincible this season though – they won just four of the seven league matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. What’s been different from previous seasons is a higher average score on a pitch that’s been slightly better for batting, not allowing skipper MS Dhoni to stifle opponents with spin to the usual degree.
After CSK’s final league game against Delhi Capitals, coach Stephen Fleming admitted they aren’t certain of what to expect at home. “We are still not 100% sure about the conditions in Chennai. In other years, we have been pretty sure. That has changed a little bit this year.”
If there’s a team that can capitalise, it’s Titans. Hardik Pandya’s boys have won each of their three matches against CSK. Their only meeting this year was the season’s opener where Titans chased down 179 with five wickets in hand. Not surprisingly, Shubman Gill – he’s had a dream run across formats in 2023 – was the top-scorer for Titans in that win. A 36-ball 63 laced with six fours and three sixes was an indicator of the IPL season he’s gone on to have.
With 680 runs in 14 matches at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 152.46, the 23-year-old opener is second in the run-scoring charts. Importantly, he’s heading into the fixture after two imperious hundreds in a row. If his 101 against Sunrisers Hyderabad was an exhibition while batting first, his unbeaten 104 on Sunday to oust Royal Challengers Bangalore from the tournament was a masterclass in chasing.
“Shubman is someone who has been working very hard. He has that kind of belief in himself to convert those 50s and 60s into hundreds. He has been a very consistent player for us from last season,” GT vice-captain Rashid Khan told reporters on Sunday.
CSK have their share of in-form players too. In Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, they have an opening pair that has repeatedly set a solid base for the middle-order. That match-up in the middle overs – Shivam Dube against the Afghan wrist-spin duo of Rashid and Noor Ahmad – may be key though. Dube has built a reputation as a destructive force against spin, often dismissing the ball from his presence. The numbers are revealing. In 12 innings this year, the left-handed batter has been striking at 175.92 and averaging 63.33.
Treating Rashid and Ahmad in that manner, though, won’t be a straightforward task. Dube though took on CSK left-arm wrist spinner Ajay Mandal in the nets on Monday, launching aerially without trouble.
Dube has also made improvements against pacers. While he could previously be tied down by fast bowlers targeting a shortish length, the 29-year-old is striking at a shade under 150 against them this year.
On what’s worked for Dube, Fleming said: “Just belief. Often, if players have an area of weakness, you tend to concentrate too much on it. We tend to just concentrate on the good things he does. And then with continued play he has got better and better. At the start, we were still trying to find some evidence that he was going to be the guy for us. An innings in Bengaluru did that. Yeah, he’s worked from a technical point of view, but mentally he’s ready to take on anything. That’s just very strong belief.”
While a loss won’t spell disaster for either side given that a second opportunity to make the final awaits on Friday, they will want to be ruthless and get the job done first up. Just like they have to reach this far.
