Shubman Gill’s outright warning to MS Dhoni and CSK ahead of Qualifier 1 tie | Cricket

For the second-straight season, Gujarat Titans won 10 of their assigned 14 league games in the IPL to finish at the top of the table. They emerged as eventual champions in 2022, their debut season, after winning in the Qualifier 1. GT will be hoping for a repeat as they face four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 tie of IPL 2023. But despite Chennai having the home advantage at Chepauk in the first playoff match, Shubman Gill is confident of Gujarat making the final for the second straight time as he issued an outright warning to MS Dhoni and CSK ahead of the game.

Shubman Gill; MS Dhoni
Shubman Gill; MS Dhoni

GT were the first to make the playoffs this season, just like in IPL 2022. Chennai were the next team, having made the knockouts and guaranteed themselves a top-two finish after an emphatic 77-run win against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

Fresh from his successive centuries – against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chinnaswamy – in a space of a week, Gill is raring to emulate the same against CSK. He is also supremely confident of GT’s win, as he rests his hopes on their “great” bowling attack.

“It’s going to be an exciting one, playing against Chennai in Chennai. We have got a great bowling attack for that wicket in particular and hopefully we’ll make it to the final for the second time,” he said after collected the Player of the Match award after the team’s six-wicket win against RCB on Sunday.

Another reason behind Gill’s confidence could be Gujarat’s fabulous record against CSK, beating them in all their three IPL encounters so far, which includes a five-wicket win in the 2023 season opener. But Chennai are the more experienced side when it comes to the IPL elimination stage. No team has played more playoff matches than CSK (24) and won such ties (15) with their winning percentage of 63 only second behind five-time champions Mumbai Indians (67 per cent). Gujarat, however, had won both their playoff games in their debut season.

Gujarat also doesn’t have the experience of playing at the Chepauk, which has been Chennai’s fortress over the years. However, GT could draw inspiration from the fact that Chennai are beatable at home given that CSK lost three of their seven games at the venue, which includes a more recent one against Kolkata Knight Riders, by 6 wickets.


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