The two best teams in the regular season will kick-start the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 23 (Tuesday). Gujarat Titans (GT) will lock horns against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Qualifier 1 and a game that both teams would be desperate to win to clinch a berth in the final. A loss will not spell doom for either of the teams as the loser will have another shot at reaching the summit clash.
Ahead of Qualifier 1, former India captain and legendary batter, Virender Sehwag has picked GT leg-spinner Rashid Khan as the trump card that can tilt the tie in defending champions' favour.
"Rashid Khan is the trump card for Gujarat. If they want wickets, they bring him. And then the way Hardik has used Rashid, it is commendable. Rashid likes to break partnerships and now he has become the most successful bowler of this season on the basis of his excellent performance," Sehwag said.
The Afghanistan leg-spinner is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich tournament. Rashid has accounted for 24 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 18.25. He also has a four-wicket haul that he claimed against Mumbai Indians, a franchise that boasts a destructive batting line-up.
Rashid Khan has a terrific record against CSK in IPL. He has bagged 13 wickets in as many matches against the Super Kings while he has also played a couple of handy knocks with the bat. Rashid has aggregated 98 runs at a strike rate of 200 against CSK in IPL.
Defending champions GT ended the regular season as the best team in the competition. Hardik Pandya's men topped the points table by winning 10 out of their 14 matches. Four-time champions Chennai Super Kings finished in second with 17 points in their bag after winning eight out of the 14 matches they played.
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