After 73 high-stakes games, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final will be played between the top two teams from the league stage. Even though Gujarat Titans (GT) lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 1, they looked like a totally different team when they played against the five-time IPL winners, Mumbai Indians, in Qualifier 2.
The Gujarat Titans won Qualifier 2 by a large margin of 62 runs, thanks to great efforts by Shubman Gill (129 off 60 balls) and Mohit Sharma (5/10). This put them in the finals for the second time in two years in a row. Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Mohammad Kaif, three of India’s most famous cricketers, have made interesting statements about the very important IPL 2023 final.
Former India player Mohammad Kaif said that the final match of the IPL 2023 season, between GT and CSK, is like a full circle. Kaif also said on Star Sports’ Cricket Live that the four-time IPL winners and the team that is currently on top have given each other a hard time.
“The match was played on this very ground, and GT won. Later, when GT went to Chennai and beat Gujarat by a large margin in Qualifier 1, CSK paid back the favor.”So, there will be a lot of competition in the final,” the former India batter said.
Harbhajan Singh says that CSK is a very strong team and that its captain is one of the smartest “cricketing minds” in the world.
“This team has made it to the finals more than any other because each player believes in the skills of their teammates.” “One reason is that its captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has faith in his team and is one of the smartest cricket players in the world,” said Harbhajan.
Irfan Pathan, another famous player from India, said that he has feelings for MS Dhoni.
“But the match between CSK and GT will be a tough one. I’m from Gujarat, so I want GT to win, but I’m more interested in MS Dhoni. Still, it’s not clear if he’ll play next year or not. The heart is behind CSK because of Dhoni,” the senior India pacer said.