On March 31, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT) faced off in the first match of the IPL 2023 league stages. They will also face off in the first round of the playoffs. In Qualifier 1, defending champions GT will square off against four-time winners CSK, headed by MS Dhoni. The victor advances to the IPL 2023 Final.
Everyone will be wondering who will be on the “playing XI” for the season’s top two teams in this crucial encounter. CSK, led by Dhoni, will be without Ben Stokes, but it appears that they will rely on foreign players. Stokes missed the majority of the IPL 2023 season due to injury, therefore he only appeared in a few games for CSK.
Dhoni has preserved the same “playing 12” for 9 of the 14 matches since Sri Lankans Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana joined CSK this year. CSK will not make many alterations to their lineup, which is expected to include three spinners: Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and Theekshana.
GT, on the other side, has struggled because its skipper, Hardik Pandya, has failed to bowl in their last three games. Pandya was an excellent bowler last season, particularly in the IPL 2022 final against the Rajasthan Royals.
To replace Hardik, GT is expected to select Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka over Alzarri Joseph. Dasun Shanaka will not only provide extra batting options for the squad, but he will also be able to bowl. Rahul Tewatia might potentially assist Hardik, giving him extra spin throw options.
The rest of GT’s batting order is anticipated to remain same from their last league match, when they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore. Shubman Gill has been in terrific form in the league, with back-to-back hundreds. Vijay Shankar, an all-rounder, is also having a fantastic season.
Predicted XI for CSK vs. GT IPL 2023 Qualifier:
Chennai Super Kings: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c and wk), Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Desphande, Matheesha Pathirana.
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Dasun Shanaka, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma
