Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are miles apart in their expectations from this game, which will be both sides’ last group stage fixture. GT want to move a step closer to a top-two finish by winning this game, while CSK hope to avoid ending up in last place.
GT were very much primed to secure a place in the qualifier before their defeat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). They have lost only four games this season, two of which were at the hands of LSG. Much to their chagrin, that wasn’t only an opportunity lost, but also denied the team some reprieve before the playoffs.
But that’s still a first-world problem compared to CSK, who look very likely to end with the wooden spoon after winning only three games this season. This will be the first time in IPL history that they finish anchored to the bottom, and their only (un)realistic way of avoiding it is to defeat GT by a gargantuan margin to better their Net Run Rate.
Team Overview:
What exactly went wrong with CSK this season? There are some hints, starting with their overconfidence in players who are well past their prime. For instance, Ravichandran Ashwin was bought by CSK for a whopping INR 9.75 crore, which didn’t make much sense, especially after the season he had with Rajasthan Royals (RR) last year, where he averaged an ugly 51.88 with the ball. He was the oldest player to be sold for above INR 5 crore in the mega auction. On top of that, the team has largely been a revolving door, with CSK using as many as 22 players from their 25-man squad.
They would be somewhat happy with how the young blood, including Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Dewald Brevis, and Ayush Mhatre, fared this season, and that they at least have something to build on for next year. However, they do have an important decision to make regarding which of their long-standing players they want to stick with. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra haven’t quite been the breath of fresh air they were expected to be. Shivam Dube, though among the runs, came out too slow to be of real value to his team. Uncertainty surrounding Ravindra Jadeja added another layer of issues for CSK, with him neither batting high up the order nor being a reliable finisher. His bowling didn’t bring much relief either, with only eight wickets in the entire season.
Gujarat Titans cracked the code when they brought in Jos Buttler, though problems might arise once he leaves before the playoffs. Against LSG, it was the second time this season that GT’s top three were dismissed before reaching the 100-run mark. While that does reflect the brilliance their top order usually brings, GT aren’t exactly looking for validation right now, instead focusing on not losing the plot at the crucial stage. M. Shahrukh Khan injected some confidence into their middle order, though they might still need to bat a tad deeper.
Kagiso Rabada, who is due to play his last fixture this season before leaving for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, might be rested to test other bowlers in this relatively low-stakes game.
Head-to-Head Matches:
GT have won four out of seven games they’ve played against CSK, who won the remaining three.
Weather and Pitch Report:
This is IPL’s last day-game, and has been scheduled to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The venue dethroned Hyderabad as the highest run-scoring stadium this season, in the last game where LSG and GT collectively scored a staggering 437 runs. Expect the surface to stay true to the pattern it has followed throughout the tournament. Fast bowlers will see some early movement and will try to use it to their advantage.
Prediction:
CSK have nothing to lose, and GT are coming off a fresh defeat to LSG, which could cause the game to veer off the expected victory path for Gujarat.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports Network, JioHotstar
UK: Sky Sports, SkyGo
USA: Willow TV
Australia: Kayo TV, FoxTel Go
Bangladesh: T Sports, Toffee app
New Zealand: Sky Sports NZ
Afghanistan: ATN
South Africa: SuperSport
Sri Lanka: Dialog
MENA: Cricbuzz
