IPL 2023: Why Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have advantage to win IPL this season

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Gujarat Titans will be up against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday (May 23) for Qualifier 1 of IPL 2023.

The Titans finished at the top of the IPL table, whereas CSK have secured the 2nd spot. The top two teams will now collide to advance to the Final of this IPL season.

It has been a stellar season for both teams and these two teams met in the first match of IPL this season. This will be the second meet for them this season, as GT won the first match by 5 wickets on the opening day.

IPL 2023 Qualifier 1: Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings

Date: Tuesday, May 23

Time: 7.30 pm IST

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

As these two teams lock horns, they both will have an eye to get to the final. GT are the defending champions, while CSK have won the IPL four times. Titans will be aiming to get to consecutive finals, whereas CSK will be desperate to get to their 10th final overall.

But both of these teams have an advantage over the two other playoff teams, and it is highly likely that one of these two teams will end up winning the trophy this season.

Why GT and CSK have massive chance to win IPL 2023

There are two reasons why GT and CSK are in the driving seat to end up with the silverware. It promises to be an intriguing playoff next week, but these two teams hold the trumps. Here are the reasons-

GT and CSK look better than the pack

Both these teams have been the standout of this season. With GT's amazing players, they have propelled themselves towards the top spot. Hardik Pandya has been brilliant, but their plethora of players have stood up in adverse situations and have taken them over the line.

For CSK, MS Dhoni's presence and the unanimous support for CSK across the country has taken them further. With CSK playing in Chennai for the Qualifier 1, they will have humongous support and that can also be a telling factor. The players like Shivam Dube, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana have been brilliant, which gives CSK the additional X-factor to win the trophy.

The IPL Playoff rules give GT and CSK advantage

The IPL Playoffs have given CSK and GT some room for error. The winner of Qualifier 1 goes straight to the final, but it's not all over for the loser. The loser has a second bite of cherry as they will face the winner of the Eliminator (3rd vs 4th) and winning that match can take them to the Final.

This advantage means either GT or CSK will have another chance to get to the Final. With the form of GT and CSK this season, it looks highly unlikely that they will lose two games in a row. That's why we may end up seeing a repeat of the Qualifier 1 in the Final, which means either CSK or GT may end up lifting the title.