IPL 2023 Final: Gujarat Titans ahead of Chennai Super Kings in bowling department, says Irfan Pathan

IPL 2023 final will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. It is a complete circle as GT vs CSK was the first match of the season where Gujarat won by 5 wickets. These two met in Qualifier 1, having finished top two on the IPL points table, where CSK triumphed by 15 runs.

IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​

Gujarat, forced into playing Qualifier 2, where they beat Mumbai Indians by 62 runs, can now shift focus to the final. A second straight final for the defending champions captained by Hardik Pandya.

After 73 matches, it all boils down to this one at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Former India seamer and Baroda player, Pathan admitted to being torn between heart and brain especially with MS Dhoni potentially playing his last match.

“Quality wise Gujarat Titans are much ahead in the bowling department than CSK. In terms of man-to-man marking, Gujarat Titans are ahead. But it will be an emotional match between CSK and GT. I am a Gujarati and will want GT to win, but my feelings are inclined towards MS Dhoni.”

“There’s still no clarity on whether he’ll play next year. Because of the Dhoni factor, the heart is backing CSK,” said Pathan on Star Sports Cricket Live.

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Fellow expert Mohammed Kaif believes it is an even contest. GT won in their own backyard, then CSK in theirs. It is all to play for in the final but GT are likely to enjoy louder support - even though CSK have one of the biggest followings in the IPL.

“It has been one-all between CSK and GT in this season. The IPL 2023 has come full circle as CSK and GT featured in the first match of the competition. The match was played at this very ground where GT won, and later CSK returned the favour when GT went to Chennai by defeating Gujarat by a big margin in Qualifier 1. So, the final is going to be a heavily-contested one,” said Kaif.

Harbhajan Singh, who played and won IPL 2019 with CSK, believes MS Dhoni is going to be pivotal in stopping Gujarat from winning once again.

“CSK is a successful team and surprisingly has played with the same team. This team has reached the finals the most number of times because each of its players believes in the ability of each of their partners. Part of the reason is that its captain believes in his teammates and is one of the most shrewd cricketing minds in the world - his name is Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” said Harbhajan.

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