Who will qualify for IPL 2023 final if GT vs CSK Qualifier 1 is washed out?

The IPL 2023 playoffs will kick off with the Qualifier 1 set to take place between the Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, May 23.

The Titans topped the points table with 20 points in 14 games, while the Super Kings finished second with 17 points in as many games.

The weather forecast in Chennai for the marquee game is set fair with zero percent chance of rain. A Super Over will decide the winner if the match is washed out due to inclement weather.

However, even if a Super Over cannot happen due to the ground conditions, the team that finished ahead in the points table will qualify for the IPL 2023 final.

Hence, in the event of rain washing out Qualifier 1, GT will progress to the final, having finished atop the points table. CSK, on the other hand, will have to play in Qualifier 2 to try and advance to the summit clash.

GT and CSK have played once this season in the opening game, with the former coming out on top by five wickets in Ahmedabad on March 31.

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GT look to join CSK and MI as the only teams to win the IPL in consecutive seasons

The Gujarat Titans had an incredible debut season a year ago where they finished on top of the points table. They defeated the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 and the final to win the title.

They have continued in a similar vein this season and look well on their way to repeating as IPL champions for a second straight season.

It is worth remembering that in the 15-year history of the IPL, only twice has a team defended their title. The Chennai Super Kings were the first team to accomplish the arduous task in 2010 and 2011. The Mumbai Indians (MI) repeated the feat in 2019 and 2020.

If GT win the title, they will join CSK, MI, and KKR as the only three teams to win the silverware at least twice.

Gujarat have been led by the in-form opener Shubman Gill with the bat. He has scored 680 runs in the season and sits second on the Orange Cap list behind only Faf du Plessis. He comes into the playoffs in red-hot form on the back of consecutive centuries against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

On the bowling front, GT has been led by the pace-spin duo of Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan. Both of them are sitting on top of the Purple Cap list with 24 wickets apiece.

Led by the impressive Hardik Pandya, GT will look to continue their scintillating form and win back-to-back titles in their first two seasons.