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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni was seen fine-tuning his six-hitting skills in the nets ahead of Qualifier 1 against the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT). The all-important game is scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, May 23.
CSK have had another strong season under the astute leadership of Dhoni, winning eight out of their 14 games and finishing second on the points table. Batting at numbers seven and eight, Dhoni has shown good form in the limited number of balls he has faced, striking at 190.74 with an average of 51.50.
Here is a video of MS Dhoni practicing his power hitting ahead of the crunch game against GT:
MS Dhoni and Co. have qualified for the playoffs an unprecedented 12th time in 14 years that. However, they will have their task cut out if they are to qualify for the IPL 2023 final at the expense of table-toppers Gujarat Titans.
A year ago, the Titans topped the points table and then ran through the playoffs. They won Qualifier 1 and the final against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to hoist the trophy in their debut IPL season.
GT have carried on their tremendous form from a year ago led by the effervescent Hardik Pandya. Shubman Gill has starred with the bat this time, and Rashid Khan and Mohammed Shami with the ball.
On the other hand, MS Dhoni will look to add another feather to his cap by winning his fifth IPL title with Chennai and equalling the Mumbai Indians' record for the most titles. Earlier in the season, when CSK took on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Chennai on April 12, the 41-year-old became the first-ever captain to lead a franchise in 200 matches.
"CSK playing at home is a big advantage" - Harbhajan Singh ahead of Qualifier One between CSK and GT
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that the contest between the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans will be highly competitive considering the ability of both teams to perform well on the big stage.
While Chennai have been to the playoffs a record 12 times in their 14-year history, GT have made it to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
Speaking to Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh previewed the mouthwatering contest by saying:
"The contest between CSK and GT will be intense as both teams know how to win big games. CSK playing at home is a big advantage, they know the conditions well but somewhere their performance at home hasn’t been foolproof this year. So this makes things interesting but CSK looks a completely different side when it plays in the playoffs. I am really looking forward to this match."
Harbhajan's point on Chennai's home dominance being slightly lesser this season stems from the fact they have won only four of their seven matches at the Chepauk Stadium.
GT and CSK have faced off only once this season, with the Titans defeating the Super Kings convincingly by five wickets in Ahmedabad on March 31.
It is also worth remembering that the Super Kings have never beaten Gujarat in the IPL. They have lost all three matches played between the two teams thus far.
The winner of the clash will head straight into the final, while the loser will take on the winner of the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants clash to qualify for the summit clash.
