Upbeat Mumbai Indians Face IPL Defending Champions Gujarat Titans In Qualifier 2

25.05.2023 - 10:01 sports.ndtv.com

Akash Madhwal's breathtaking bowling performance against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator would have given five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians wings and they would be fancying their chances against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 to be played in the world's largest stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

Mumbai Indians, riding on magical figures of five for five produced by Madhwal at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday night, knocked out LSG from the race to the final with an 81-run win.

The massive MI victory was a warning to the rivals that they could lift their game according to the occasion even in the absence of star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer and batting mainstay Tilak Varma.

MI pride themselves on thriving when the odds are stacked against them, something they have done throughout the season. Having finished last in the previous edition, Rohit Sharma's team has ground it out this season to remain in contention for a sixth IPL title even with limited resources.

cricket Mumbai Indians qualifier Cameron Green Rohit Sharma Hardik Pandya Suryakumar Yadav Gujarat Titans Shubman Gill Rashid Khan India Ahmedabad Chennai

Chennai Super Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by five wickets (DLS) to win the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. It was a record-equalling fifth title for CSK under the leadership of MS Dhoni and in the process, they became the joint most successful franchise in the history of the competition. The match was a nail-biter with 10 runs needed from the last two balls of the game and Ravindra Jadeja finished it off in style.

"When I Played For India In 1999...": Virender Sehwag's Advice To Mumbai Indians' Star Tilak Varma

Mumbai Indians star batter Tilak Varma made his IPL debut in 2022. In the first season, he scored 397 runs across 14 matches at an average of 36.09 and a strike rate of 131.02. In IPL 2023, Varma improved his performance by scoring 343 runs across 11 matches at an average of 42.88 and an impressive strike rate of 164.11. The batter gave a scare to Gujarat Titans during Mumbai Indians' mammoth chase of 234 runs in the Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The southpaw scored 43 runs off 13 balls before Rashid Khan dismissed him to keep GT in the driving seat.

CSK vs GT, IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings And Gujarat Titans' Roads To Final

Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans are set to face each other in the final match of IPL 2023 on Sunday. The summit clash between the sides will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Interestingly, a game between these two sides kicked off the season and it will be a battle between these two teams again that will conclude the 16th edition of the T20 extravaganza. MS Dhoni-led CSK are four-time winners while Hardik Pandya and company are the defending champions.

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023, Final: Predicted XIs For Both Teams

Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans will be squaring off against each other in the much-awaited final match of IPL 2023 on Sunday, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The MS Dhoni-led team will be coming to this clash after defeating GT in the Qualifier 1 by 15 runs. On the other hand, the defending champions thrashed Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in the Qualifier 2. It will be interesting to see whether CSK will be able to clinch their fifth title or will Gujarat emerge as the winners for the second time.

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023 Final: GT's Strength And Weakness

After thrashing Mumbai Indians by 62 runs in the Qualifier 2, defending champions Gujarat Titans will now be facing Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL 2023 on Sunday. Asked to bat first, the defending champions posted a whopping total of 233/3 in 20 overs after Shubman Gill smashed 129 runs off just 60 balls. Later, MI were bundled out for 171 as Mohit Sharma took a five-wicket haul. The MS Dhoni-led side had defeated Gujarat in the Qualifier 1 by 15 runs and it was also their first victory over the Hardik Pandya-led team in four meetings.

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023 Final: CSK's Strength And Weakness

Gujarat Titans registered a comfortable 62-run victory over Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 on Friday. Asked to bat first, the defending champions posted a whopping total of 233/3 in 20 overs after Shubman Gill smashed 129 runs off just 60 balls. Later, MI were bundled out for 171 as Mohit Sharma took a five-wicket haul. The Hardik Pandya-led have entered the final of the tournament and will now be going up against Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It will be an interesting battle as both the teams had finished in the top two on the points table during the league stage.