IPL final today, Dhoni one step away from record fifth title – Hardik Pandya brigade is in front

Ahmedabad (Best Hindu News): This season of IPL can be recognized for emerging young talents like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Verma. It could also be that this season will be remembered for the comeback of forgotten bowlers like Ishant Sharma, Piyush Chawla and Mohit Sharma. Everyone is eagerly waiting for who will become the winner of IPL 2023. The title match will be played between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from 7:30 pm today. The team of Gujarat Titans, captained by Hardik Pandya, has entered the final for the second time in a row. GT has become the second team in the history of the league to do so, while Chennai has made it to the title match for the 9th time. CSK has become champion four times. This season may be known for its breath-taking thrilling matches and unprecedented records, but most likely, IPL 2023 will be remembered as Dhoni’s last cricket tournament. So when Mahendra Singh Dhoni dons the yellow jersey for possibly the last time in Sunday’s IPL final against Gujarat Titans, he will aim to make Chennai Super Kings champions for a record fifth time. Dhoni has played a total of 10 IPL finals as the captain of Chennai. He played his first IPL final in 2008 against Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals. Teams and captains changed generation after generation, but Dhoni continued to shine in the final stages of the IPL. Despite being banned for two years for the franchise, Chennai is second only to Mumbai Indians (five) in terms of most IPL wins. Dhoni would like to match Mumbai’s record by winning another IPL final on Sunday. However, it will not be easy at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Gujarat’s home ground. Opening batsman Gill has been in scintillating form with three centuries in the last four matches, and his form speaks volumes at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gill has scored 630 runs in 11 T20 matches at this ground at an average of 70.00 and a strike rate of 157.50, including two centuries and three fifties. His explosive innings of 129 off 60 balls in the second qualifier against Mumbai must have put Chennai on alert. Gujarat’s bowling line-up with the likes of Gill, Hardik Pandya and David Miller is no less. Mohammed Shami (28), Rashid Khan (25) and Mohit Sharma (23) are on the first, second and third places respectively in the list of bowlers with most wickets in IPL 2023. This figure is enough to testify to the supremacy of Pandya’s team’s bowling. To neutralize this bowling attack, Dhoni’s team will depend on their openers. Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s presence with the bat has proved valuable for Chennai on several occasions, mainly due to the failure of the middle order.

Ajinkya Rahane, who started the season strongly, has not been able to make much of an impact in the last few matches, while Moeen Ali and Ambati Rayudu have also had a mediocre season. Ravindra Jadeja, who has won Chennai many matches with the ball, is expected to play the role of the finisher but he has not been successful in that role this year. Apart from Shivam Dubey, none of the Chennai middle-order batsmen have been able to perform with consistency and in the finals too, Chennai will expect long sixes from this tall youngster. Chennai, who usually depend on experienced players, have been successful this year on the strength of youngsters like Dubey, Mathisha Pathirana and Mahish Teekshana. The fearless attitude of these youngsters will prove to be crucial in making Chennai the champion. Ultimately, Deepak Chahar could prove to be Chennai’s trump card in the title clash. If this talented swing bowler gets rid of some of Gujarat’s top-order batsmen including Gill in the early overs, then Chennai will have an upper hand in the match.