3 things GT need to do right to defeat CSK in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1
Gujarat Titans (GT) will battle the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Qualifier 1 match of IPL 2023 tonight. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will play host to the clash between the defending champions and the four-time IPL winners.
CSK and GT played excellent cricket during the league stage of IPL 2023. GT topped the points table by recording 10 wins from 14 matches, while CSK finished second after registering eight victories, five losses and one no-result in their 14 outings.
Gujarat Titans hosted the Chennai Super Kings for a match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the IPL 2023 season opener. Shubman Gill's magnificent half-century helped the Titans win that contest in Ahmedabad.
Later tonight, GT will square off against CSK once again in IPL 2023, but this time at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium. In this article, we will look at the three things Gujarat need to do right to complete a double over Chennai this season.
#1 Gujarat Titans should play an extra spinner in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1
The pitch in Chennai is known for helping the spinners. In the previous match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)'s mystery spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy troubled the Chennai Super Kings a lot.
Looking at KKR's performance against CSK, Gujarat Titans should look to add an extra spinner to their playing XI. They have Tamil Nadu domestic team's top left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore in their squad.
Given that Sai Kishore has a lot of experience of playing in Chennai, Gujarat should pick him in their playing XI or use him as an Impact Player. They can swap him for Yash Dayal, who has not been so impressive since his return to the field in IPL 2023.
#2 Gujarat Titans should plan to dismiss Ruturaj Gaikwad early
Ruturaj Gaikwad has always scored big against the Gujarat Titans. The Chennai Super Kings opener has aggregated 218 runs in just three innings versus the defending champions. He touched the 50-run mark in each of the three knocks while maintaining an excellent strike rate of 148.30.
Even in the previous match between GT and CSK, Gaikwad blasted a 92-run knock at the top of the order. Gujarat will have to plan better to dismiss Gaikwad. Perhaps, they can introduce Rashid Khan or Noor Ahmad early into the attack if Mohammed Shami cannot pick up his wicket in the powerplay overs.
#3 GT need to make the most out of the Tamil Nadu stars in their squad
Quite surprisingly, the Gujarat Titans have more Tamil Nadu players in their team than the Chennai Super Kings. The Tamil Nadu team has achieved a lot of success in domestic cricket over the last few years. Plus, they play a lot of cricket in Chennai, which will help GT a lot.
Vijay Shankar, Sai Sudharsan and R Sai Kishore are the top three names from Tamil Nadu present in the GT squad. Coach Ashish Nehra and captain Hardik Pandya should aim to use them in the best way possible so that the result comes in their favor.