IPL 2023, CSK vs GT, Qualifier 1: Gaikwad & bowlers take CSK to tenth IPL Final

IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Gujarat Titans (GT), Qualifier 1: Ruturaj Gaikwad's 60, Ravindra Jadeja's 22 & 2-18 and Deepak Chahar-Maheesh Theekshana's combined 4-57 are top performances. CSK beat GT and enter to their 10th IPL final.

CSK beat Gujarat Titans in qualifier 1; enter into finals (Images: ©IPL/Twitter)

Brief Scores: CSK 172/7 (Ruturaj 60, Conway 40, Shami 2/28) beat GT 157 (Gill 42, Rashid 30, Jadeja 2/18) by 15 runs.

Player of the Match: Ruturaj Gaikwad (60 runs in 44 balls)

The table toppers from the league stage, Gujarat Titans (GT) took on Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have made their 12th playoffs in their 14 seasons, during the first qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In all three games both teams have faced each other, GT have three successful run chases.

Maiden IPL win over GT carried Chennai to their tenth IPL final

GT captain Hardik Pandya on winning the toss bowled first on a track that looked dry and was expected to help the spinners. While CSK went with the same playing eleven, Gujarat brought Darshan Nalkande in place of Yash Dayal.

Put into bat first, the opening partnership between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway began well with 49/0 in the powerplay and stretching it up to 85/0 at the halfway mark. The GT spinners slowed down CSK in the next phase keeping them down to 125/3 in 15 overs before with some flourish shots, CSK reached to 172/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Chasing 173, the Titans didn’t have a great start with 41/2 in the powerplay before reaching to 72/2 in 10 overs. They slowed down terribly to 102/6 in 15 overs before they tried hard but was bundled out for 157 in 20 overs, losing the game by 15 runs.

Read More: IPL 2023, RCB vs GT: Gill's ton overpowers Kohli's century; MI qualify, title remain elusive for RCB

Talking point: CSK relied on excellent opening combo

One of the main reasons for the success of CSK in this season has been their opening partnership where Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway have given them great starts in most of the game.

The former is now on 564 runs in 15 games while Conway now has 625 runs in 15 games. CSK will hope to get the same sort of contribution in the final and in the upcoming seasons.

Let’s scan the top three performances from the game between GT and CSK

Gaikwad scored 60 off 44 against Gujarat in qualifier 1 (Image: ©IPL/Twitter)

Gaikwad carried his purple patch with classic 60-run knock

Ruturaj Gaikwad came to this vital game on the back of his 79-run knock in the last game against Delhi Capitals and started off from where he left.

After getting an early life of a no-ball, Gaikwad clubbed Darshan Nalkande over mid-on for a six before driving him through extra cover for a boundary. He found the gap in the wide region of cover against Mohammad Shami before cutting Nalkande through a backward point for a beautiful four.

He found the gap behind point against Rashid Khan to earn a boundary to now have 84 T20 runs in 57 balls in the face-off besides two dismissals before Gaikwad sliced Mohit Sharma for a boundary in the third man to celebrate his 14th IPL fifty.

Gaikwad who was dismissed on 60 in 44 balls with the help of seven boundaries and one six to register 564 runs in 15 games of IPL 2023, has got now 1771 IPL runs in 51 games.

Read More: IPL 2023, DC vs CSK: Conway, Gaikwad take CSK to record 12th playoffs; close to top-two finish

Jadeja took 2-18 & scored 22 off 16 against GT (Images: ©IPL/Twitter)

Ravindra Jadeja displayed all-round performances with 22 & 2-18

In a vital game like this, CSK expected their veteran campaigner Ravindra Jadeja to make an impact, and he didn’t disappoint them.

Coming in the 16th over of the game, Jadeja took some quick singles and doubles before smashing Mohit for a boundary over extra cover. He beat the mid-on fielder to earn another valuable boundary against Shami to score an important 22 runs in 16 balls.

Coming into the attack with the ball, Jadeja sent back Dasun Shanaka on 17 who reverse-swept the slower ball to be caught in the hands of the short third fielder. He became the third IPL player to now have double of 1000 runs and 150 wickets in IPL. In his last over, Jadeja broke the stumps of David Miller on 4 to end with figures of 2/18 in his four overs. Jadeja now has 2677 runs and 151 wickets in 225 IPL games.

Read More: Despite inexperienced bowling attack, CSK have strung together impressive showing in IPL 2023

Deepak Chahar took 2-29 against Gujarat Titans (Images: ©IPL/Twitter)

Chahar-Theekshana punctured Titans with combined figures of 4/57

Just like he has been doing for his whole IPL career, Deepak Chahar gave Chennai early success with the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha on 12 who pulled the slow short ball in the hands of the deep backward square leg. Maheesh Theekshana too continued the momentum sending back Hardik Pandya on 8 who cut the short ball in the hands of the backward point.

Coming back for this last over, Chahar caged the ‘big fish’ Shubman Gill on 42 who played a miscued pull in the hands of the fine leg. This was the third time Gill has been dismissed to Chahar. Theekshana too finished his spell, breaking the stumps of Rahul Tewatia on 3 to end with 2/28 in four overs. Chahar ended with 2/29 in four overs.

What’s to come

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will lock horns with Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 24 in the Eliminator at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Read More: IPL 2023, CSK vs KKR: Rinku, Nitish & Bowlers take KKR home; CSK's playoffs chances dented

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