As Ian Bishop commentated during the Qualifier 2, the IPL 2023 season will be remembered as the season where the star of Shubman Gill tore through the roof.
He is set to go home with the Orange Cap this season. He’s amassed 851 runs at an average of 60.78 and a strike rate of 156.43 with three centuries to his name. What was a good season turned into a spectacular one with all his 3 hundreds coming in the last 4 innings.
Gill’s century against Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad in Qualifier 2 would have sent shivers down the Chennai Super Kings camp. CSK and GT will meet for the Indian Premier League 2023 final at the Narendra Modi stadium, where Gill has seemed unstoppable this year.
However, there are a few reasons why Shubman Gill might suffer a failure in the IPL 2023 final vs CSK:
Shubman Gill has ordinary record against Chennai Super Kings
Of all his IPL opponents, Shubman has his worst average against Chennai Super Kings. In 12 innings vs Chennai Super Kings the right-hander averages 27 at a strike rate of 126 with 3 fifties.
But, not to forget, he hit 63 in the first match this season against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. He scored a fighting 42 in Chennai in Qualifier 1.
Gill would be wary of Chahar and Theekshana
Deepak Chahar is set to be the big threat for Gill in the final, especially if GT are chasing. As has been evident in the last few matches in Ahmedabad, there is plenty of assistance for pacers bowling second. Yes, for example, MI lost both their openers in the first three overs in their chase in Qualifier 1.
Further, Gill’s numbers against Chahar aren’t great either: 62 runs in 47 balls with 3 dismissals. Theekshana has got Gill out once in 2 times they have met in T20 cricket.
Pressure of a final could get to even the best and most in-form batters
It is Chennai Super Kings. It is an IPL final. Things perhaps couldn’t get tougher than this for an opposition. The pressure of an IPL final could get to the best of the batters. Remember Chris Gayle in IPL 2011 when Gayle was rampant in the league phase and looked unstoppable. But, he was dismissed for 8 and 0 in Qualifier 1 and Final respectively, both against Chennai Super Kings . Gambhir was dismissed for 2 in the final vs CSK in 2012.
After all, MS Dhoni will want to mastermind one more IPL final.
Shubman vs CSK bowlers will be the battle to watch out for in the IPL. A battle which could potentially decide which way the final goes.
