The IPL 2023 season has reached its climax, with two of the most consistent teams set to face off in the final after 70 league matches and three playoffs. The season began in Ahmedabad, where Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans took on MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. Now, the two teams will meet again in the final on Sunday at the same venue.
Gujarat Titans have replicated Chennai Super Kings' structural and team-building ethos with precision. Both teams base their cricketing decisions on sound logic, consistency, and no interference from overbearing owners. Gujarat Titans has a captain who believes in leading the team in only one way.
CSK will be confident, having recently defeated the Titans in Qualifier 1. However, the MS Dhoni-led side will be wary of their overall record against the reigning champions, as well as their winless run in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, will be coming off a 62-run win over MI in Qualifier 2, thanks to Shubman Gill's masterclass third century in IPL, followed by Mohit Sharma's superb five-wicket haul. Hardik Pandya and company became the first team to appear in consecutive IPL finals in the first two seasons, and the third team, after CSK and MI, to reach successive IPL finals.
Chennai Super Kings, who faced Gujarat Titans in the season opener at the same venue, will be looking to win their fifth IPL title, tying Mumbai Indians for the most IPL titles, with a victory over Hardik Pandya's men in the final.
CSK is the second most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League, having won four titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021.
Hardik Pandya is currently pursuing a record held by Rohit Sharma, albeit a different one from that of Dhoni. Hardik has already secured the IPL title a remarkable 5 times, an impressive feat in itself. However, a win on Sunday would see him surpass his own record and match the record held by Mumbai Indians' captain, Rohit Sharma, who has also won the title 6 times. It is worth noting that no other player has achieved this feat, with Rohit holding the record for the most IPL title wins, having lifted the trophy 5 times with Mumbai Indians and once with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers.
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