A dead rubber to blood new players | IPL 2022 Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans: Team Analysis

Match 62 between the Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans is a dead rubber as the fates of both teams have already been sealed. GT are through and CSK are done for the season. Here is our analysis:

Team analysis for CSK

Strengths: The positive aspect of matches without consequences is that the teams can test their bench strength. CSK should attempt to play as many new faces as they can in their remaining clashes.

There have been some positive takeaways for Chennai this season, like Mukesh Choudhary, who has got 11 wickets in the powerplay, and Devon Conway, who has three fifties on the trot. Shivam Dube also shone with the bat in the first part of the tournament and MS Dhoni has shown that he has some fire left in him.

Weaknesses: The average age of the squad has impacted their performance every season. Their inability to field enough young players and provide them time in the middle has been a major issue. Their fielding has also been awful this season. It's not clear how many players will be released but it’s time to infuse some fresh blood into the set-up.

Team analysis for GT

Strengths: They’ve outperformed every other team in their debut season and have become the first team to qualify for the play-offs. A team with players who have peaked at the right time, Hardik Pandya has led from the front.

Everything has clicked - from Shubman Gill's new lease of life in the first phase and Wriddhiman Saha's aggression at the top to David Miller’s perseverance and Rahul Tewatia’s raw power. The batting has often pushed through in precarious situations.

The bowling has generally been impressive and the attack has made run-scoring difficult for the opposition. Rashid Khan has been the destructor-in–chief and has led from the front with 15 wickets.

Weaknesses: Pandya’s sudden dip in batting form is a worry. After an impressive start with 295 runs in six matches, he has managed only 49 runs in the remaining five. The obsession with the Matthew Wade experiment has been baffling. They should bring in Rahmanullah Gurbaz instead.

Impact player for CSK

Mukesh Choudhary: The left-arm pacer is the joint leading wicket-taker for CSK. His ability to pick wickets in the powerplay has helped the team gain an upper hand in many matches.

Impact player for GT

Mohammad Shami: He has been an intelligent bowler who extracts what he can from the new ball. He has grabbed powerplay wickets but he has also improved his death bowling over time. His form has been a revelation for the Titans.

Head-to-head:

Total: 1 match

GT: 1

CSK: 0