IPL 2023 Qualifier 1: Chennai Super Kings beat defending champions Gujarat Titans to reach 10th final

Chennai Super Kings defeated defending champions Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Chepauk on Tuesday to enter the final of the 2023 Indian Premier League.

GT will get another chance to reach the title clash when they take on the winner of the Eliminator between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 on Friday.

This is the 10th time that Chennai Super Kings have reached an IPL final. The four-time champions finished 9th in the points table last summer but they bounced back in sensational style this season. CSK finished second in the points table with 17 points from 14 matches thanks to some heroics from their openers, middle-order batters, rookie bowlers and outstanding captaincy from MS Dhoni.

On Tuesday, Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scored with a classy 60, Ravindra Jadeja (22 and 2 for 18) starred with the bat and ball and Deepak Chahar picked the crucial wickets of Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill to take the Super Kings to script a memorable victory as their home fans cheered on.

This was Chennai Super Kings’ first win over Gujarat Titans. Before this game, GT had won all their three matches against the Super Kings.

Gujarat Titans suffered an early setback in their chase when Deepak dismissed Chahar Wriddhiman Saha in the third over of the innings. Hardik Pandya came in at No.3 in a high-pressure game, but he was removed by Maheesh Theekshana soon after, as GT tottered in the Powerplay. The onus was now on Shubman Gill, who had hit two back-to-back hundreds before the first qualifier.