Defending champions Chennai Super Kings and runners-up Gujarat Titans are gearing up to battle it out in the 7th Match of the Indian Premier League set to take place on Tuesday at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Last season’s finalists CSK and GT will renew their rivalry with a twist in leadership. Shubman Gill will now captain the Titans, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, taking the helm from MS Dhoni, leads Chennai into this encounter.
With both teams riding high on momentum, only one will secure the crucial 2 points, leaving the other with opportunities later in the season to make up ground.
What has happened so far?
Both teams have played one match each against different opponents and both have tasted success with an early win in the season.
While the Gill-led side currently sits in 4th place with one win, CSK has one win to their name and currently holds the second spot due to their superior net run rate. CSK kicked off IPL 2024 on a winning note against the Royal Challengers Bangalore defeating them with 6 wickets.
Despite RCB’s batting collapse, they managed to reach a total of 173 runs in 20 overs. However, CSK chased down the target with ease, securing the win with 8 balls to spare.
Speaking of the Gujarat-based franchise’s performance in their tournament opener, they faced off against the Mumbai Indians at their home ground on Sunday night. After losing the toss, GT was invited to bat first and managed to put up a score of 168 runs on the board, losing 6 wickets in the process.
In the second innings, it seemed like a done deal for Mumbai until the 16th over, but GT’s pacers revived the buried match out of nowhere, causing the Men in Blue to choke and securing a 6-run victory.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head record indicates a closely contested rivalry, with GT slightly edging out CSK. Out of their 5 encounters, the team from the westernmost state has triumphed thrice compared to Chennai’s two victories.
Notably, the Titans claimed victory in the first three matches, but in the last two showdowns, the yellow-clad squad emerged triumphant. The IPL 2023 Final between these teams was a spectacle, culminating in a CSK win on the last ball by 5 wickets.
Key Players
Rachin Ravindra has seamlessly slotted in for the injured Devon Conway
Rachin Ravindra (Chennai Super Kings): Rachin Ravindra has made a significant impact since joining the CSK setup. In his debut innings wearing the Yellow jersey, he displayed aggressive intent while opening the innings.
During the defending champions’ chase of 174 runs in the first match, Rachin played a pivotal role, scoring 37 runs off just 15 balls, including 3 fours and 3 sixes, boasting an exceptional strike rate of 246.6. Additionally, Rachin has gained the experience of playing on the Indian pitches and can prove to be a lethal Batsman against the GT bowlers.
Azmatullah Omarzai (Gujarat Titans): Azmatullah Omarzai was a valuable addition to the franchise during the auction. In the opening match, he showcased his skills with an electrifying performance, contributing crucially with both bat and ball. Against MI, despite facing just 11 deliveries, he managed to add 17 runs to the scoreboard.
While in the second innings, Omarzai was entrusted with the new ball right from the first over, yet again impressing everyone with his bowling prowess, claiming the crucial wicket of Ishan Kishan.
In his subsequent over, Omarzai trapped Naman Dhir LBW, concluding his spell with figures of 3-0-27-2. His consistent performance marks him as a potentially reliable asset for the upcoming matches.
Team News from Both Camps
In the CSK camp, there’s positive news as pacer Matheesha Pathirana has joined the team. However, he may have to wait for his turn to be included in the playing XI, as it is likely that the team will stick with the same lineup for the next match. Meanwhile, Devon Conway’s absence due to a thumb injury still persists.
Just prior to the tournament, GT management made a change, replacing Robin Minz, acquired for INR 3.60 crores, who unfortunately got sidelined for the entire IPL due to a bike accident, with BR Sharath.
Additionally, Gujarat’s Matthew Wade remains unavailable for the upcoming match as he is currently fulfilling commitments with Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield final, thus remaining overseas.
Predicted XIs
Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad ©, Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill ©, Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Spencer Johnson
Prediction
Despite winning their first match by a close margin, facing the five-time champions Chennai, especially at their home in Chepauk, adds an extra layer of pressure on Ashish Nehra’s men.
On paper, the Super Kings hold a slight edge to win the contest, but the Ahmedabad-based franchise possesses all the necessary resources to stage a comeback as demonstrated last Sunday against Mumbai Indians.