Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming on the even of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final against defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) revealed that the plan for in-form Shubman Gill haven’t changed since their clash in the Qualifier 1.
Chahar vs Gill
Fleming feels early breakthroughs will be the key to winning the final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on May 27. Earlier this week, CSK’s opening bowler Deepak Chahar could not get rid of Gill early on in the innings. However, he returned in the middle overs and got his wicket with a slower bouncer as Gill went for a pull shot and got caught at fine leg by Devon Conway. Gill scored 42 runs in the run chase GT lost by 15 runs. Also Chahar has dismissed Gill thrice in IPL history.
“He (Gill) is playing really well. It (the plans) does not really change, you hope that you pick him up early, you have enough firepower to create an opportunity. The only thing that we are looking at is when you have got openers, when they are in such good form, there is an opportunity to get into the middle order,” Fleming told the reporters in the pre-match press conference.
"If we can get a couple of early breakthroughs then, (just like) in the last game we played there is an opportunity. But we got to get past him, he is playing really well."
Gill's red-hot form
Gill scored an electrifying 129 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Qualifier 2 to help GT post 233 and win the game by 62 runs. He has scored 851 runs in the season already and is just 13 runs away from surpassing Jos Buttler to become second on the list of most runs in an IPL season.
While CSK have been the most consistent team in IPL history and have reached their 10th final in the leadership of MS Dhoni, GT have made it to the finals for the second time on the trot.
Asked about whether the opposition is capable of making it two in two, Fleming said, “So hard! It is impossible, it is going to be so hard for them (GT) to do it (laughs). No, they are a good side; you got to say ‘really well done’ to what they have put together in a short space of time.”
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