IPL 2023 Qualifier 1: CSK, at Chepauk, stand in GT's way of second straight final

Sanjay Manjrekar said ahead of the IPL Qualifier 1 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, “They have been very similar teams tactically. Both these teams don’t look to make too much of changes and the leadership group keeps the atmosphere light in the dressing room. The battle between these two in playoffs will be an interesting one.”

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That is an accurate assessment of two teams who have maintained their playing XI, with their roles and found consistency as a result. They’ve been rewarded with results as GT topped the league table ahead of second-place CSK.

Beyond just the teams, the leadership has been quite similar too. MS Dhoni’s leadership traits have been exemplified by his opposite number Hardik Pandya. Both teams have seen seniors packing the juniors, hand holding them at times, encouraged the uncapped ones and even letting their place go in favour of the greater good – the team.

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MS Dhoni has allowed Shivam Dube to bat ahead of him at times and handled the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana smartly to bring out the best in them. Whereas Hardik Pandya has done the same for Vijay Shankar, Noor Ahmad and Josh Little.

For GT, Vijay has been at his best with the bat in the IPL. Mohit Sharma, earlier a net bowler, has been key for the team.

In the CSK camp, Rahane’s career appeared to be going nowhere until this season where under MS Dhoni’s guidance, the right hand batter has not only become a force in T20s but also found himself a place in the World Test Championship final squad. Sure both of these things have come with injuries to other players, but Rahane has given his career another wind.

IPL Qualifier 1 will see these similar yet very different teams go against each other at Chepauk in what is expected to be a cracker of a contest. CSK will enjoy home advantage but they’ve not been as impregnable at home as in the past. They’ve lost three of seven matches at home – to teams they hadn’t lost to in over a decade (RR, KKR and PBKS).

Gujarat Titans will now hope they’ve shed the weary legs and minds after playing late on Sunday night and the travel that came after it. They would be boosted by the opportunity to make the final one more time, at home, something that hasn’t been achieved since CSK’s 2011 and 2012 forays.

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