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The Gujarat Titans (GT) will be playing for their pride when they host the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, May 10. The last time these two sides locked horns at the venue, it was a completely different occasion as it marked the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) final.
GT have completely lost their way in the campaign after losing four out of their last five matches, including the last three in a row. With Shubman Gill's returns with the bat plummeting, the side have been unable to counter that loss while the bowling unit's struggle has also been evident since the first game.
The Shubman Gill-led side have tried to mix things up by moving to the three-spinner policy, integrating Shahrukh Khan and Josh Little into the mix, but they have been unable to be a threat to the opposition side, and have lost their recent games by a huge margin. They have tried out a total of 22 players this season in 11 matches, which is the joint most for the season.
On that note, let us take a look at what three things GT can possibly to do defeat CSK and return to winning ways in IPL 2024.
#1 Limit Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube's threat
CSK's current batting unit is shouldered by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, with the rest struggling to keep up. PBKS recently profited at Chepauk by dismissing Shivam Dube for a golden duck. GT need to do something of the short, otherwise, their spin trio will have a huge task on their hands.
Ruturaj Gaikwad's ability to play the long game and switch gears effortlessly has been a menace for the opposition sides. Furthermore, the opening batter also has a formidable record at the venue, with his 92 in the 2023 season opener being one of his best knocks.
If the new ball attack finds movement and are able to trap Gaikwad with it and then go on to make easy work of Dube, then GT have a chance of restricting CSK across either innings. Gaikwad and Dube's no-show will put heaps of pressure on the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, and Moeen Ali, who have not had a memorable season with the bat.
#2 Capitalize on CSK's shaky pace bowling unit
CSK's biggest concern in the final leg of the race for the playoffs will be their depleted pace bowling unit. With no Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, and Mustafizur Rahman due to injury and availability issues, CSK have been forced to turn to their bench.
Although the makeshift unit of Richard Gleeson, Simarjeet Singh, Shardul Thakur, and the ever-present Tushar Deshpande complimented the spinners well in the recent win over CSK, it is still an area that GT can look to capitalize on.
Gill has been undone by pace in the recent matches, including against his nemesis Anrich Nortje. He will be on the lookout to make amends by putting pressure on the makeshift bowling unit before the likes of Miller and Shahrukh can counter the spin bowling in the middle overs.
GT have been slow off the blocks this season, as they are the slowest-scoring side in the powerplay and the middle overs. Saha's lack of impact in recent games have played a huge role for the former, and with the veteran not there to take on the bowling attack and the fielding restrictions, it has impacted Gill's game to a certain degree as well.
#3 GT have to use their spinners carefully
Franchises' plans with spin bowling have gone haywire whenever they have come up against CSK, largely due to the threat offered by Shivam Dube. CSK have also orchestrated the left-handed batter's position, preserving him for the middle overs forcing the opposition to either gamble with the spinners or hold them back, or not use them at all.
With GT having 12 bonafide overs of spin, they should not be overwhelmed against Dube. Rashid Khan has not had the greatest of seasons, in terms of both wickets or economy, their biggest trump card is Noor Ahmad. GT have sacrificed their pace bowling unit for the left-arm spinner, and he has responded well with his contributions.
He also has a good matchup against Dube across three outings. The spinner has conceded only 16 runs off 14 deliveries while dismissing him on one occasion as well.
Lastly, on a side note, Gill needs to beat the law of averages to prolong Gaiwkad's ongoing streak of losing coin tosses. Both teams will prefer to chase at the venue, and as a result, it will play a crucial role in the proceedings.
