Gujarat Titans will take on Chennai Super Kings in today’s first qualifier at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Former India opener Virender Sehwag has predicted that GT’s Rashid Khan can play a decisive role in do-or-die encounter.
Defending champions the Gujarat Titans must have a lot of faith in their star spinner Rashid on the spin-friendly track of Chepauk.
Earlier, the two sides faced each other in the opening match of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where the Hardik Pandya led side thrashed CSK by five wickets.
Sehwag went on to say that ‘Rashid Khan’ is likely to be a match-winner for the Gujarat Titans. Pandya has the luxury of bringing Khan at crucial stage of the match, and most of the time he was able to break the partnership and bogged down the opposition. Currently, he is in tremendous form with the ball, so, he has emerged as the most successful bowler in this edition of the IPL.
Former India cricketer and noted commentator Sanjay Manjrekar said that the approaches of both sides are similar, which will make today’s contest more absorbing. The battle between these two in the playoffs will be an interesting one,” Manjrekar said.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh claimed that home conditions may give CSK a slight advantage, but the Chepauk has not proved a lucky hunting ground for the MS Dhoni-led team in the IPL 2023.
Both sides know how to deal with the big match, but the conditions, to some extent, will favour CSK. But CSK changes colours when it plays in the playoffs, Bhajji said.