For Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad brings in a lot of good memories. On a rainy couple of nights in 2023, they defeated the Gujarat Titans to win their fifth title. It almost seemed like they will race ahead of the rest in terms of trophies and establish their dynasty.
But CSK now find that destiny isn’t in their hands at the moment. After a poor start as they lost the first three games, the five-time IPL champions were able to find their mojo and went on a run that got them close to playoff contention.
This was powered by the might of their batters and the form of the bowlers, especially of Jamie Overton along with the rest. But just when Chennai looked like getting away from the rest, injuries would come in and pull them back. That happened with Overton, who was forced to head back home with an injury. That ruined their plans and combination even more, resulting in two straight losses.
The last one against Sunrisers Hyderabad has now left them in a very precarious spot. Even with a win, their place for the playoff isn’t guaranteed. Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings can still go above them. Even the Delhi Capitals can catch them also on 14 points.
A loss means a direct knockout and a third season of missing out on the playoffs. They won’t be having the noise around MS Dhoni, who has returned home to Ranchi ahead of the final league game.
For the Gujarat Titans, their qualification was sealed with CSK’s loss to SRH and Shubman Gill would be pleased with a lot of things from his side. With the bat, Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler have once again been the main aggregators, with Washington Sundar playing a big role at No.4.
The bowling has been phenomenal in the powerplay phase, with Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj usually bowling their first three overs during that time.
Rashid Khan’s form and Prasidh Krishna always being amongst the wickets has helped. But they do have a few things to iron out before the playoffs.
Also a win will strengthen their chances to finish in the top two and play in the qualifier 1 in Dharamsala. So they will get a chance to have two cracks at reaching the final, even if they lose and escape from the heat that is taking over the north.
So, with a lot on the line for both sides, we can expect a scintillating clash under the bright lights at the Narendra Modi stadium.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH RUTURAJ?
When the prospect of seeing Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top became a reality, CSK fans were expecting a major shift for them after the failure of the openers last season.
While Samson has gotten off the blocks quickly, scoring 477 runs from 13 matches with two hundreds to his name. He has a strike-rate of 166.20 and an average of 47.7.
But at the same time, Ruturaj has scored 321 runs from 13 matches with an average of 29.18 and a strike-rate of 120.67. He has only managed 28 boundaries and 10 sixes during the same time. To give context, Finn Allen smoked 10 maximums during his outing against GT.
Probably a knock that summed up the struggles for the Chennai skipper was his outing against SRH. He scored 15 runs from 21 balls, with all of them coming via singles.
While Stephen Fleming and the CSK management remain firmly behind their skipper, he needs to start letting the bat do the talking on Thursday.
In the three matches Ruturaj has played at the Narendra Modi stadium, he has scored 118 runs with a highest of 92. The hope is there, but execution is going to be key for the Chennai captain.
GT LOOK TO TIGHTEN UP
GT has very few areas to tighten up as they head into the playoffs. They have been an all-round for most part of the season.
But the KKR game seemed like an anomaly. Crucial catches were dropped, and they allowed KKR to take them down at the Eden Gardens.
Captain Gill wasn’t happy and even went on to roast his side about this fact.
Another area seems to be the lack of firepower in the middle. Apart from Gill, Sudharsan, Buttler and Sundar to an extent, the rest of the batters have struggled.
Jason Holder can hit the long ball, but his entry point continues to be something that GT hasn’t sorted out. He has rotated between No.5 to No.7, but they need to find a fixed spot for him.
Holder not being used in the KKR game early on was a mystery for many, but this is a game they can push and use the all-rounder’s big-hitting power a lot more.
GT VS CSK: TEAM NEWS
For CSK, the big news is that Dhoni won’t be with the team for the clash against GT. They have kind of filled the void left by Overton with Spencer Johnson.
They maybe tempted to bring back Sarfaraz Khan back into the mix instead of Prashant Veer, as the 14 crore buy hasn’t been used with the ball and Akeal Hosein functioning as the lead left-arm spinner.
For GT, it is a chance to test their bench strength a bit and this could be a chance for the Gurnoor Brar to come in. He has been drafted into the Indian team for the Afghanistan series and this could be a chance for him to make a mark for GT.
GT VS CSK: HEAD-TO-HEAD
GT and CSK have played nine matches with Gujarat leading the battle 5-4. Their latest win came earlier in the season when they wrecked Chennai at Chepauk.
AHMEDABAD WEATHER AND PITCH CONDITIONS
It’s expected to be a very hot day in Ahmedabad, with the temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius at toss time. While it will get a bit cooler, the lack of humidity means that there won’t be dew during the match.
The interesting thing with Ahmedabad this season has been the fact that toss hasn’t been a deciding factor. Teams batting first and second have won three games each so far.
While the trend has always been to chase in the IPL, Ahmedabad could be one ground where it won’t matter at all.
GT VS CSK: PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Sai Kishore, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar. Impact player: Rahul Tewatia
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan/Prashant Veer, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Spencer Johnson. Impact player: Mukul Choudhary.
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