3 similarities between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings

Gujarat Titans (GT) made a winning debut in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Led by the dynamic Hardik Pandya, GT has made a positive start to the 2023 season as well.

They have won three of their four games, with their only defeat coming against the Kolkata Knight Riders in a closely fought contest. They are currently third in the points table.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are one of the most successful teams to have played in the IPL. They have won the tournament four times, losing twice in the final. They are currently fifth in the points table, having won and lost two games apiece.

There have been a few similarities between GT and CSK in IPL 2023. Here is a look at three such similarities:

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#1 Close nerve-wracking finishes:

Both GT and CSK have been involved in matches that have gone down to the wire in IPL 2023. In the very first match of IPL 2023, both the teams were involved in a closely contested game and GT won the said encounter with just four balls to spare.

GT's next match was against Delhi Capitals (DC), which they won comprehensively with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare. GT lost narrowly to KKR on the very last ball when Rinku Singh smashed five sixes in five balls. In their next game against Punjab Kings, GT won with two balls left in the contest. Thus, three of their four encounters in IPL 2023 have ended in the last over.

CSK have also had its share of close matches in IPL 2023. Their match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) went down to the wire, which CSK won by 12 runs. The win against Mumbai Indians was by a margin of seven wickets with 11 balls to spare i.e. the same number of deliveries that GT beat DC as mentioned hereinabove.

Their loss against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) was again a closely fought contest and CSK were in the game till the last ball. CSK, just like GT, have been involved in four matches and three of the said games have been decided in the last over itself.

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#2 Backing senior experienced Indian players:

Both GT and CSK have Indian players in their squads who have tasted success at the international level and also in the domestic circuit.

Vijay Shankar averages 59 with the bat in IPL 2023

GT have backed Vijay Shankar, who did not taste such success in the previous three IPL seasons. Shankar has rediscovered his batting touch in IPL 2023 and has the support of the team management. He has scored 119 runs in three innings in IPL 2023 at an average of 59 and strike rate of 175 .

Shankar has had considerable success on the domestic circuit and is replicating the said performances in IPL cricket. Similarly, veteran Wriddhiman Saha has tasted success for the GT franchise.

He played a crucial role in GT's victorious campaign in IPL 2022 scoring 317 runs from 11 innings. In IPL 2023, Saha has been instrumental in getting GT off to a flying start and has scored at a strike rate of 145.76.

Ajinkya Rahane was picked up by CSK in the IPL 2023 auction and the former Indian Test skipper smashed a 19-ball half-century for the four-time champions. His innings laid down the foundation of a famous win over the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Ambati Rayudu has played a few handy knocks for CSK in IPL 2023 and averages 30 with the bat and has a strike rate of around 136.

Thus, both the franchises have backed senior experienced Indian players and the said players have repaid the faith of the team management by performing on the big stage.

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#3 Presence of finishers who add depth to the batting order:

Both teams are blessed to have many options as far as finishers are concerned. As far as GT is concerned, David Miller perfectly fits the role of a finisher. Miller is the perfect batsman to have in the playing XI and is an asset in big scoring encounters.

He is yet to be dismissed this season and has a strike rate of 135.14. Rahul Tewatia has proved his mettle as a finisher in IPL cricket and led GT to a famous win against the Punjab Kings in IPL 2023. Apart from the said duo, the likes of Rashid Khan and Hardik Pandya are dangerous batsmen, especially in death overs.

CSK too have a few finishers in their ranks. In M.S. Dhoni, they have one of the best finishers the world has ever seen and he has been in good batting form in IPL 2023. He has an average of 58 and a strike rate of almost 215 in three innings.

Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes, and Moeen Ali have been dangerous as batsmen in death overs for their international team as well as in franchise cricket and the game is never over as long as they are at the crease.

Both GT and CSK have power strikers who are capable of winning games from improbable situations and are similar in the said aspect in IPL 2023.