Chennai Super Kings Predicted Playing XI vs Gujarat Titans for the IPL 2023 Final
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face off against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) final on Sunday, May 28, in Ahmedabad.
The Men in Yellow sealed their spot in the summit clash with a win over the defending champions in Qualifier 1 at Chepauk, recording their first victory over GT in four attempts. They will be well-rested, with Hardik Pandya and Co. having had to deal with the rigors of Qualifier 2 against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
CSK will look to add a fifth feather to an already stacked cap. MS Dhoni's future is uncertain, and he has been expectedly non-committal regarding the same. One thing is for certain, though. In his potentially last game, the Chennai skipper won't suddenly start making changes.
Here is CSK's predicted playing XI for the IPL 2023 final against GT.
Note: Playing XIs are bound to vary majorly in IPL 2023, with the introduction of the impact player rule as well as captains having the chance to name their side after the result of the toss is known.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have formed the backbone of the CSK batting lineup, and they will have the unenviable task of negotiating Mohammad Shami with the new ball. The GT seamer has been sensational under the lights at Ahmedabad, and few games have gone by where he hasn't produced at least one early breakthrough.
Ajinkya Rahane could have a crucial role to play in the IPL 2023 final. He has a positive head-to-head record against Shami and will also need to take on the other GT pacers in the first half of the innings. So will Shivam Dube, of course, with the tall southpaw's spin-hitting ability being one of the game-changers of the season for Chennai.
Maheesh Theekshana's form has improved with time, and even Ambati Rayudu has come up with a couple of short but sweet cameos. Most of CSK's players are in decent form, but their bowling attack could be slightly exposed in Ahmedabad.
Deepak Chahar appeared to pull up with a niggle at the end of the previous game. He, however, is all set to suit up for the Super Kings in the final, with an eye on somehow seeing the back of Shubman Gill early.
CSK are definitely going to stick to the same side unless they are forced into making any injury-enforced changes at the last minute. Dube should alternate with Matheesha Pathirana as the impact player, as has been the norm lately.
CSK's predicted playing XI for the IPL 2023 Final: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande.
Impact player candidates: Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh, Nishant Sindhu, Prashant Solanki, Shivam Dube.