Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has spoken about the plans they have to sack Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Shubman Gill early in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. He said they need to make early breakthroughs and then the opposition will be under pressure.
Chennai Super Kings will take on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 28). With the way the team led by MS Dhoni has played in the tournament, it is fair to say that they are the favorites to win the game.
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But GT superstar Shubman Gill stands in his way to his fifth IPL title. The leadoff hitter has been in top form in the league and has been smashing runs for fun. In the past 12 days, he has smashed three tons and single-handedly knocked out Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians from the IPL.
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Shubman Gill was at his best in Qualifier 2 against the Mumbai Indians. He taunted the bowlers and smashed them all over the park. He finished with the 129-run hit and helped his side win. He currently is the run leader in the tournament with over 850 runs and if he hits close to how he batted against MI, GT will surely get his second straight title from him.
LPI 2023 | India national cricket team| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Capitals of Delhi (DC) | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Knights Riders of Calcutta (KKR) | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Stephen Fleming admitted that Shubman Gill is hitting amazingly well, but that doesn’t change things for them as they will do what they did all tournament long. He added that they are looking to take early ground and put pressure on the opposition. Speaking to reporters, he said:
“He is playing well. It does not change. You expect you to pick it up early. You hope there is enough firepower to create an opportunity, be good enough to take it. I guess all we’re looking at is when you have starters or starters in such good shape, an opportunity to break into the middle order. So if we can get a couple early leads, like we saw in the last game we played, there’s an opportunity to build some pressure. But we have to get over it.”
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CSK against GT: “Devon and Rutu have done very well,” says Stephen Fleming.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway will be key to CSK’s options in the final. The duo have been excellent as opening partners and have amassed the most runs for the opening pair this year.
While the Indian opener has crushed 564 runs, the Kiwi batsman has 625 runs and if they click well, the team will be in a very strong position. But aside from his starters, one player who has been his MVP with the bat is the lanky lefty Shivam Dube. He has literally worked with the bowling lineups.
Fleming stressed the importance of opening partnerships but feels his middle order will be key in the big game like the final against GT. He explained:
“I think if you look back in time, there are about 70% of the runs scored by the top three successful teams. Certainly during our time, Faf (du Plessis) and Rutu (Gaikwad) were neck and neck with Orange Cap. Devon and Rutu have done very well. Gill has probably dominated more than Saha, but they’ve still been a good combination.
“We have experience below that, which is important. So we changed up the order a lot and used an impact player in (Shivam) Dube and we were able to bring in our mid-tier players at some key moments. It hasn’t always been the same order and it’s very much based on how we got to the top. I’ve had days where Devon and Rutu left early and we still played well.”
CSK and GT also met in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1. It saw the MS Dhoni-led side pummeling the opposition in Chennai. But this time the match will be played in Ahmedabad, which is a stronghold for Shubman Gill. It remains to be seen what the young hitter does tomorrow in a big game.
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