3 player battles to watch out for in CSK vs GT, Match 7 of IPL 2024 ft. David Miller vs Ravindra Jadeja
The action in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) continues with a clash between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Gujarat Titans (GT), in a rematch of their famous 2023 edition final. The two sides are scheduled to face each other on Tuesday, March 26 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Both sides have started their respective campaigns with a win, and will be keen to gather some momentum in the early stages. CSK defeated the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener, while GT executed a heist to bag two points against the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad.
The focal point of the contest will be how the two new young captains lead their side. Although Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill have started their IPL captaincy careers with a win, there is still a long way to go in the tournament.
CSK and GT faced each other thrice in the previous season in crucial phases of the campaign, including the season opener, Qualifier 1, and the final.
The new-look GT will be keen to make a huge statement with a win at Chepauk of all places. A few changes can also be expected in the team due to the conditions, with Noor Ahmad making a strong case for his inclusion to forge a dangerous spin trio with the local player Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan.
CSK, on the other hand, were at their best in the season opener, controlling the middle overs and approaching the run chase with a calm head. They have been bolstered by Matheesha Pathirana's return, but his inclusion in the playing XI straightaway is a doubt, considering how Mustafizur Rahman fared on his CSK debut recently.
On that note, here are three player battles to watch out for in CSK vs GT, Match 7 of IPL 2024
#1 Shubman Gill vs Deepak Chahar
A battle that was not arguably witnessed to its potential during the 2023 IPL final, as it was Wriddhiman Saha who took on Deepak Chahar. However, it was the right-arm pacer that had taken Gill's key wicket the last time these two sides clashed in Chennai.
Now, why a match-up between Deepak Chahar and Shubman Gill is enticing, potentially speaks for itself. The pacer's ability to swing the ball both ways against the opening batter's prowess to find the gaps and go over the infield, makes it an even contest, and the statistics also somewhat suggest the same.
In the nine T20 innings that Chahar and Gill have come across each other, the latter has scored 71 runs in 52 deliveries at a strike rate of 136.53, but has lost his wicket thrice as well.
#2 David Miller vs Ravindra Jadeja
Rahul Tewatia's presence in the Gujarat Titans (GT) batting unit allows Miller to bat up the order, and hence the South African's match-up against Ravindra Jadeja becomes crucial than the more obvious one against Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs.
Miller has dominated Jadeja in the past, scoring 142 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 171.08, while losing his wicket only twice. However, the thing to keep in mind is Jadeja's improved record against left-handed batters as well as the fact that the contest will take place at the Chepauk.
The last time these two players faced each other across the pitch, Jadeja had outfoxed the Proteas star from around the wicket with a delivery that spun quite a bit.
#3 Shivam Dube against Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan had a key role to play in GT's heist against MI in their season opener despite not picking up a wicket. His mini-battle with the left-handed Tilak Varma sowed the seeds for the win, setting up the game for the death-over specialists to work their magic.
The wrist-spinner will have another left-handed batter to deal with in the upcoming contest in the form of Shivam Dube.
RCB had employed the short-ball tactic against Dube in the middle overs, not giving him the chance to exploit the spinners. However, with GT's lack of genuine pace as well as Rashid Khan's world-class ability, the match-up is likely to be on in the middle overs.
To Dube's credit, he has fared well against Rashid Khan in the past. The left-handed batter has been up against the Afghanistan spinner a total of four times, where he has scored 21 runs in 15 balls at a strike rate of 140, without losing his wicket once.