"Others will have their opinions" - Wasim Akram predicts who will win IPL 2023 Final

Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has shared his opinion on who will win the IPL 2023 Final. Gujarat Titans (GT) will take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the summit clash of this year's IPL later tonight at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Before the big game, Akram appeared on Sportskeeda's show 'Match Ki Baat: Weekend Special'. When asked about his opinion on which team will emerge as the champions of IPL 2023, Akram went with CSK.

Explaining the reason why Chennai have a slight upper hand over Gujarat, Wasim said:

"I was expecting that Chennai and Gujarat will finish in Top 4. Gujarat are reliant on Shubman Gill and their captain Hardik Pandya. CSK have qualified for finals 10 times.

"They know to make a comeback even if they lose early wickets. They know how to remain calm. Others will have their opinions, but for me, CSK is 60%, GT 40%."

"Hardik Pandya made a mistake here" - Mohammad Kaif explains why Gujarat Titans lost to Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif was present on the show as well. He pointed out how Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya made an error at the toss of the Qualifier 1 against Chennai Super Kings. Kaif felt that GT should have batted first in that game instead of chasing a target.

"In Qualifier 1, GT lost against CSK in Chennai. Hardik Pandya made a mistake there. He decided to field first after winning the toss on a wicket like the one in Chennai. CSK scored 170, and they had the likes of Matheesha Pathirana, Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana. Spin is their strength," Kaif said.

"In knockouts, you should look to bat first. If you score 190 in the first innings, the run-chase won't be successful," he concluded.

The IPL 2023 Final between GT and CSK will start tonight at 7:30 pm IST. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top.