Indian T20 League 2023 

Qualifier 1: GUJ vs CHE

Preview 

After 70 league matches, we are down to the final four. Qualifier 1 will see reigning champions Gujarat (GUJ) lock horns with four time champions Chennai (CHE) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Tuesday, May 23. GUJ were the first teams to qualify for the playoffs and are heading into this encounter on the back of a convincing win against Bangalore (BLR).  CHE on the other hand secured a massive 76 run win over Delhi in their last league fixture. 

GUJ has unarguably one of the most formidable sides in the competition. They have a well rounded squad with a good mix of exuberance youth and seasoned campaigners. In the last game against BLR, Pandya and co chased down a huge total of 198 on the back of a splendid ton by Shubman Gill. He enjoyed good support from Vijay Shankar at the other end, who came in as an impact sub. The three dimensional player scored a 35 ball 53 to help GUJ sail through. Apart from Gill and Shankar, the defending champions have plenty of firepower in their batting department. Middle order comprises the duo of skipper Hardik Pandya and David Miller. Then, they have the likes of Rahul Tewatia, Dasun Shanaka and Rashid Khan in the lower order, who have proven their mettle as finishers in this format. In the bowling front, GUJ have no shortage of quality prospects. The pace prowess is led by Mohammad Shami, who has been absolutely devastating with the new ball this season. The 32 year old currently holds the purple cap with 24 wickets to his name. In the spin attack, GUJ possesses the services of Afghan spin twins Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed. The two could prove beneficial on a wicket which has traditionally been conducive for spinners. 

Despite starting the season on a dismal note, CHE has managed to bag the second place in the league standings. They hit form at the right moment to secure a place in the playoffs for a record 12th time.  They decimated Delhi (DEL) in their last league match to confirm a spot in the final four. What makes this CHE truly special is that they have assigned players a specific role within the team and each one of them is portraying that role perfectly. Bowling, which hasn’t been their strongest suit, has done surprisingly well this season. Tushar Deshpande and Deepak Chahar have been lethal with the new ball whereas Matheesha Pathirana has excelled in the death over specialist role. In the spin department, CHE has numerous options with the likes of Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Mahesh Theekshana in their ranks. Their strength lies in their batting. The pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad has done exceptionally well up top. Ajinkya Rahane has been a revelation at three. Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja at three and four have clicked. Then, for late flourish down the order, CHE has the brute force of MS Dhoni, the experience of Ambati Rayudu and a premier ball striker in the form of Moeen Ali. 

Ahead of this mouth watering clash, let us have a look at how the two teams fare out on Tuesday

Match Details

Match: GUJ vs CHE, Qualifier 1, Indian T20 League 2023

Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Pitch and Weather Report

The MA Chidambaram surface is deteriorating and getting slower with each passing game. Thus, the toss is really crucial. Batting first will be an ideal choice but since GUJ have a really potent bowling attack, which can defend any total, they can elect to bowl first as well. Anything above 170 will be a good total on this wicket. 

The skies would be mostly clear on Tuesday and we can expect a complete game without any rain interruptions.   

GUJ vs CHE Squads

GUJ: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, Dasun Shanaka, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, Vijay Shankar, Srikar Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Abhinav Manohar, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Matthew Wade, Joshua Little, Darshan Nalkande, Urvil Patel, Sai Sudharsan, Jayant Yadav, Pradeep Sangwan

CHE: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh, Sisanda Magala, Dwaine Pretorius, Ben Stokes, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, RS Hangargekar, Bhagath Varma, Nishant Sindhu

GUJ vs CHE Probable Playing XIs

GUJ: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Dasun Shanaka, Mohit Sharma, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad

CHE: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk/c), Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana

Match Prediction

Expect a closely fought contest between bat and ball. The hosts would need a strong performance from its bowlers to induce a favourable outcome. They are even with GUJ with the bat, but their bowlers have been inconsistent and will need to step up on matchday to help their team win this game. GUJ on the other hand have used their resources well. Their bowlers have been instrumental in their success and their top order has scored heaps of runs this season. Though we expect a neck to neck encounter, GUJ will have a slight edge on Tuesday.

Top Fantasy Picks 

Shubman Gill- The opening batter has been in imperious touch this season, amassing 680 runs in 14 innings at a splendid average of 56.67. 

Rashid Khan-  The Afghan spin wizard has once again been bang on with ball in hand. With 24 wickets in 14 games, the superstar cricketer is the second leading wicket taker this season. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad: The dashing opener is enjoying another successful season with the men in yellow. He is timing the ball sweetly, constantly rotating the strike and taking his chances when required. 

Deepak Chahar: It is good to see the speedster back amongst the wickets inside the powerplay. He is coming off a good outing (3/22) against DEL. 

Risky Captaincy Choice

After a blistering start to the season, Ajinkya Rahane has slowed down . He hasn’t had the best of games off late but can very quickly turn things around with one substantial knock. 

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