IPL 2023: Gujarat Opt to Bowl First Against Chennai; Eye Successive Final Berths

Chennai: In a highly anticipated clash at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, May 23, the reigning champions Gujarat Titans (GT) are set to face off against the formidable Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Qualifier 1 match of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL).

GT secured a dominant six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their last league stage game, thanks to Shubman Gill’s outstanding performance, where he scored his second IPL century of the season. With this win, GT achieved their 10th victory in the league stages this year. However, they now face a challenging task as they go up against CSK at the renowned Chepauk stadium.

On the other hand, CSK secured the second position in the league standings with an impressive victory over Delhi Capitals in their recent match. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway played crucial innings, propelling CSK to a total of 223/3 against DC. Later, Deepak Chahar’s exceptional bowling performance restricted Delhi Capitals to a mere 146/9. CSK enters this match with high spirits, boosted by their recent triumph, and they also enjoy the advantage of playing on their home turf. It is worth noting that GT holds the upper hand in the head-to-head record, having won all three previous encounters against CSK. However, this will be the first time the two teams face each other at Chepauk.

The pitch at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is known to offer a fair contest between bat and ball in T20 cricket. With an average first innings score of 163 in 77 IPL matches, the teams batting first have won 44 games so far. While the surface traditionally favours spinners, this season has seen batsmen dominate most matches, with four instances of teams scoring 200 or more runs.

Weather conditions in Chennai are expected to be favourable for the match, with no forecast of rain during game time. The temperature is likely to hover around 32 degrees Celsius, gradually decreasing to 31 degrees towards the end of the match. Fans can look forward to an exciting encounter between two formidable teams in a highly competitive setting.