Big image: Titans and CSK - comparable but totally different

Hardik's dealing with of Vijay Shankar, as soon as seen as his competitor, or younger Noor Ahmad and Josh Little, to quote a number of examples, has been as exemplary as Dhoni's dealing with of Ajinkya Rahane, Tushar Deshpande or Matheesha Pathirana.

With the bat, Vijay is having fun with his greatest 12 months on the IPL with the backing he has seldom obtained elsewhere. Mohit Sharma's journey from a internet bowler, who swallowed his ego to sharpen his expertise final 12 months, to being one of many key bowlers this season can be a results of the captain's backing.

Tuesday's Qualifier 1 will pit these two comparable, but very totally different groups in opposition to one another in what guarantees to be a blockbuster conflict. CSK will take pleasure in greater than a slight edge, given they're going to have the house benefit emphatically by their aspect. The Chennai followers may have another probability to have a good time their larger-than-life icon, their talismanic chief as a spot within the ultimate is a step away.

Titans will shortly should shake off weariness from their ultimate league fixture in opposition to RCB that went previous midnight. An extended highway journey to the airport and the following processes to board shall be maybe longer than the flying time to Chennai itself. To do that all within the area of some hours, realizing there's one other sport to stay up for the following night will little doubt be one other take a look at for the table-toppers.

That they've made it this far for a second straight season is as a lot credit score to the workforce as it's to the administration. Now for the chance to be solely the second workforce, after CSK in 2011 and 2012, to have a second straight crack at a house ultimate of their second 12 months of existence. It cannot get greater than that.

Form information

Chennai Super Kings WLWWL (final 5 accomplished matches, most up-to-date first)Gujarat Titans WWLWW

Team news: Will Hardik bowl?

Hardik hasn't bowled in three video games now. When he final bowled in a sport on May 7 in opposition to LSG, he did not full his quota. Against RCB, with out Hardik the sixth bowler, Yash Dayal and Mohit conceded 93 off their eight overs. If Hardik is not bowling, they could require both Dasun Shanaka or Rahul Tewatia to chip in, relying on circumstances in Chennai.

Josh Little, who featured in eight of Titans' first 10 video games, is again in India after worldwide obligation with Ireland and will substitute Dayal within the aspect. If Titans go down that route, Abhinav Manohar is more likely to return instead of Shanaka.

CSK do not consider in making too many modifications, so count on them to go unchanged.

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Impact Player Strategy

Titans have principally used Shubman Gill or Vijay Shankar as Impact Player after they bat. With Gill set to play the WTC ultimate inside per week of the IPL ending, it is maybe prudent to not expose him to potential on-field accidents. That mentioned, Vijay offers them an extra bowling possibility, if required. However, he hasn't been referred to as in to bowl a single over thus far this season. With the ball, considered one of them will seemingly be substituted for Mohit Sharma.

Gujarat Titans (possible XII): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Yash Dayal, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Mohit Sharma

Ambati Rayudu's sharp catching might have earned him the precise to not be subbed off within the Qualifier 1•BCCI

Pathirana and Dube have been used as Impact Players in every of their final three matches. In the earlier sport, Ambati Rayudu had an opportunity to offer a uncommon glimpse into his fielding skills with a shocking catch at mid-off. So, after having a minimal position on the sector for a lot of the group levels, Rayudu might properly have earned the precise for continuity. Is Dhoni considering that approach, although?

Chennai Super Kings (probableXII): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Ambati Rayudu, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Desphande, 12 Matheesha Pathirana

Stats that matter

• Jadeja has a very good match-up in opposition to Hardik, having dismissed him twice in 4 innings. In comparability, Gill has struck at 153 in opposition to him with out being dismissed even as soon as in 36 deliveries.
• Shami has the wooden over CSK's openers. He has dismissed Conway on every of the 2 events they've confronted off earlier, together with the event opener. Shami additionally has the lid over Gaikwad, who has solely managed to attain at a strike charge of 70. It's the bottom strike charge he has had in opposition to any pacer off whom he has confronted no less than 15 deliveries.
• Gaikwad hasn't let being dismissed by Rashid alter his strategy in opposition to the legspinner. His strike charge of 147 is the third-best within the IPL amongst all batters who've confronted a minimal of 5 overs from Rashid.
• The 32 sixes Tewatia has hit within the demise overs is the joint-most - alongside Jadeja - by an Indian since IPL 2020

Pitch and circumstances

Hot climate, surfaces on the dryer aspect and spin-loading - all fairly widespread at the moment of the 12 months in Chennai. Expect it to be no totally different. The defending workforce must cope with some dew later at evening. Four of the seven video games thus far this season at Chepauk have been gained by the chasing aspect.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo