Watch IPL 2023 analysis: Who will win the final, Hardik Pandya or Dhoni?
A close contest between evenly matched Chennai and Gujarat and led by astute captains
Dubai: Gujarat Titans are in their second consecutive finals and facing them will be the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings. It is going to be a battle of wits as two astute leaders, Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be eager to stamp their authority on the Indian Premier League.
The Season 16 is a tussle between the past and the future captains. Dhoni is renowned for his conquests as the Indian team captain, while Pandya is set to take over the reins from Rohit Sharma and has been leading the Men in Blue in the absence of Rohit Sharma.
Gujarat hold the edge
Who will win the Sunday’s final is anybody’s guess. The first one to blink will be the one to lose. Still, Gujarat hold the edge as they are at home and have been a compelling force in Ahmedabad. Chennai skipper Dhoni will be eager to rewrite that script by leading his team to maiden win at Narendra Modi Stadium against the Titans on the big stage. There are many sub-plots to the contest. Shubman Gill vs the Chennai pacers, Ruturaj Gaikwad-Devon Conway vs Shami and co, Shivam Dube vs Rashid Khan. What happens to all of those intriguing clashes?
Mumbai's efforts
While the entire fan base is looking forward to the final, Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, have clearly showed that they are not a spent force yet and exceeded their own expectations. From the bottom of the table last year, they have proved their detractors wrong by making the playoffs and they didn’t do any wrong in the loss against Gujarat in the Qualifier 2 on Friday.
Watch video for all the analysis on the Qualifier 2 and the predictions for the final. The guests today are former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas, UAE opener Chirag Suri and cricket enthusiast Sai Prasad.