Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 27 : Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League (IPL) final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, Gujarat Titans (GT) Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki said that the team is not entirely dependent on their in-form opener Shubman Gill, but is confident about preparing their batters for any given situation.
Defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will lock horns in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, making this GT's second successive final and CSK's 10th, the most by any team in league's history.
Hardik Pandya-led GT will be looking forward to defending the title that they had bagged in their debut season in 2022. CSK will be hoping to clinch their fifth title and perhaps give a memorable farewell to skipper MS Dhoni, as this could be his last season with the Yellow franchise as speculated by many fans since the start of the tournament.
"We are confident in trying to prepare all of our batsmen as best we can for any given situation," Solanki stated in a pre-final press conference.
"Our batsmen are in a good space going into tomorrow's game. While Shubman has played a significant role with the lion's share of overs, we are pleased with his contributions. However, it's important to remember that, at any given time, only two players can be at the crease. If the two openers occupy the entirety of the 20 overs, we are absolutely fine with that," he added.
Solanki was all praise for Gill, calling him a "brilliant technician" and lauding him for putting so much hard work into his game.
"When it comes to batting, Shubman Gill is a brilliant technician. For a young man, he has already displayed remarkable skill and finesse in his approach. If you are looking to emulate someone in the game, he would certainly be one of the examples you would want to follow."
"What sets Shubman apart is not just his natural talent, but also the tremendous effort he puts into his game. It is not just about practising in the nets; he goes beyond that. Shubman is incredibly perceptive about the opposition he faces, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and seeking opportunities to gain an advantage. He meticulously prepares himself to overcome the challenges he might encounter in any given situation," added the Director of Cricket.
Gill currently holds the Orange Cap in IPL 2023. He has scored 851 runs in 16 matches at an average of 60.78, with three centuries and four fifties. His best score is 129. His runs have come at a strike rate of 156.43.
Gill's wicket will be a prized one for CSK and the batter will hope to hit big one last time this season and try overtaking Virat Kohli's tally of 973 runs in a single season, which was back in 2016.
The rest of the GT batters are in fine form, though their numbers are dwarf-like in comparison to Gill. Saha (317 runs), skipper Pandya (325 runs), David Miller (259 runs), Vijay Shankar (301 runs), Sai Sudarshan (266 runs) are capable of helping the team to a competitive total even if Gill fails. GT though would want more from Miller, who has failed to fire heavily this year, as compared to his 481 runs in the 2022 season. Sudarshan can also provide stability and play an anchor.
Solanki said that though his team has respect for the "fabulous" team that CSK is, the side is preparing itself to stay prepared for any opposition and the final is another opportunity for his players to prove their skill.
"We entirely appreciate and respect what CSK has done. They have been a fabulous team for a good number of years now and we respect that. We respect the playing group. As we have done throughout the year against all of the opposition, we have respected each and every opposition we have come up against. But we try and prepare ourselves to be competitive against anybody and we are confident in our preparation," said Solanki.
"What transpires on the day transpires on the day but we have got to be conscious of our preparation. Be present when the opportunity presents itself and take those opportunities. Tomorrow is a brilliant opportunity. It is yet another opportunity for our players to show the skill they have and we are very much looking forward to it," he added.
On his team's bowling attack, which has stars like Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma dominating top three spots in wicket-taking charts, Solanki said, "I think we have always been minded of actually being an attacking attack, an attack that is able to take wickets in different conditions through different phases of the game. So in conversation, we are always minded of actually... That is our go-to is the ability to take wickets. All three that you have mentioned have been quite brilliant this year. Quite brilliant. They have worked extremely hard and they deserve all of the success that's coming their way," Solkanki explained.
"So it is not just the case that if we chase, then we are more competitive or not. We are confident that the balance we have within our group allows us the opportunity to win. If we play to our potential and play as well as we can, whether it be batting first or batting second, we give ourselves an opportunity to win," he added.
GT's bowling attack has been on fire this season. This has made them a team to beat this season. GT bowlers have dominated this IPL 2023. The top three spots in the race to the Purple Cap for most wickets are occupied by GT's trio of Mohammed Shami (28 wickets), Rashid Khan (27 wickets) and Mohit Sharma (24 wickets).
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