The IPL 2024 has reached its final stretch where every two points matter for every team now. Gujarat Titan will face Chennai Super Kings in the 59th game of IPL this season on 10th May at Ahmedabad. GT can not afford to lose this game while CSK will try to have a stronger grip on one of the top 4 positions.  Details of GT vs CSK Match  Table: Schedule of Match between Gujarat Titan and Chennai Super Kings Match Date Time Venue 59 Friday, May 10, 2024 8:00 P.M BST Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Gujarat Titan vs Chennai Super Kings: Match Preview Gujarat Titans find themselves in the last position of the table and practically ruled out of the top 4. The IPL 2024 season has been a rather disappointing season for them after playing at least the finale in the previous two editions of IPL. Losing this match will mean they are the first team to be mathematically out for this season. Mumbai Indians fans would also wish for Gujarat Titans to win. Otherwise, they are mathematically out of the IPL this season as well.  Read more: Shakib, Soumya, Mustafizur return as BCB announces squad for final Zimbabwe T20Is This has been a season Gujarat Titans will not want to remember for a long time. They have been struggling to gain momentum all season. They only managed to win only four out of 11 games so far. Their top performers have not been able to deliver. Only two of the batters could score 200+ runs this season which is surprisingly low for such a star-studded batting line-up. Their skipper and top scorer of the last IPL Shubhman Gill has been underperforming as well with only two 50+ scores and 322 runs from 11 innings. Other batters like David Miller, and Rahul Tewatia have not clicked either. Sai Sudarshan has been their top run-scorer this season and he is the only entrant from Gujrat Titans for top 10 run-scorer in IPL this season.  Their bowling unit has been more disappointing this time. None of the top 25 wicket-takers in this IPL has been a GT player. Mohit Sharma has been their highest wicket-taker with only 10 wickets. Their dazzling leg-spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad have been quite under-performing for their standards. The blunt performances of Rashid Khan surprised everyone. Chennai Super Kings have been able to maintain their rhythm throughout the season. They have not been the best like KKR and RR but every time they just did enough to get it done. Captain Rituraj Gaikwad led from the front being the 2nd highest (541 runs) run-getter in this edition of IPL, only one short of Virat Kohli, and is the main candidate for this year’s orange cap. Shivam Dube has also been super impactful with his 350 runs at a massive 170+ strike rate. Read more: T20I Series: Bangladesh take 2-0 lead with comfortable victory over Zimbabwe In bowling, they had a fantastic trio in Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, and Tushar Deshpande. However, Mustafizur is not available for them due to international duty. Pathirana is also out of the 2024 IPL for a hamstring injury. Deepak Chahar also has fitness issues. It would be interesting to see how CSK team management forms their bowling line-up with so many major absentees. It is good news for them that they have bowlers like Shardul Thakur and Richard Gleeson available to them. They would also like to see their overseas batters contribute much more.  They also have a strong spin-bowling all-rounder core of Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mitchell Santner. With the absence of their strike-fast bowlers. They would have a big role to play in this game and the remainder of the season as well. GT vs CSK H2H Records So Far Table: Head-to-head records between Gujarat Titan and Chennai Super Kings Total Matches GT Win CSK Win Tie/NR 6 3 3 0 Read more: Women's T20 World Cup: Bangladesh's Schedule Unveiled Squads of Gujarat Titans Shubman Gill (captain), David Miller, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Noor Ahmad, Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Josh Little, Mohit Sharma, Azmatullah Omarzai, Umesh Yadav, Shahrukh Khan, Sushant Mishra, Kartik Tyagi, Manav Suthar, Spencer Johnson, BR Sharath, Sandeep Warrier Squads of Chennai Super Kings Aravelly Avanish, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajay Mandal, Daryl Mitchell, Richard Gleeson, Ajinkya Rahane, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Sameer Rizvi, Mitchell Santner, Nishant Sindhu, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Shardul Thakur, Maheesh Theekshana  Key Players in Gujarat Titan Squad Sai Sudarshan B Sai Sudharsan is the most in-form batter of Gujarat Titans this season. He maintained a decent strike rate and carried the innings while scoring 424 runs for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024 so far. He has to play a crucial knock in this game to give Gujarat a chance in this game. Read more: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to stay alive in IPL Shubman Gill The skipper has to lead from the front in this game. If bowlers fail to perform well, Gujarat Titans team management will feel that the batters need to score big to win the game. In such a situation, Shubman Gill is the guy to take the responsibility of scoring big for the team. Key Players in Chennai Super Kings Squad Ruturaj Gaikwad The CSK skipper is one of the most likely candidates for the Orange Cap this IPL season. He also has been the key for CSK as he led the team with the bat. He needs to set the tone and carry the innings for CSK to make them the winners of this game.  Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja has been the player of the match in two of the six wins for CSK. He has been effective with both bat and bowl. With the majority of frontline bowlers being either absent or doubtful, Jadeja has to lead the bowling attack to restrict Gujarat Titans to a low total for CSK. Final Words The clash of the two finalists of last season is always an enticing fixture. However, this season’s performance puts CSK as a slight favorite for this game. GT is expected to come with everything for their last chance of survival in the IPL 2024 season.  But CSK usually deals with these kinds of situations with utmost efficiency and they are expected to do the same this time as well. Read more: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: Full Fixture, Groups, Teams and Venues

As the 2023 Indian Premier League draws to a close, the fans are looking to the upcoming playoffs. Following an exciting league stage, the four playoff teams have now been determined after a fierce struggle for qualification. It was an awe-inspiring battle among the seven teams, each fighting tooth and nail to remain in contention for the championship until the very last week. However, only three teams emerged successful. The Gujarat Titans secured their place in the playoffs first, showcasing their dominance by winning the majority of their games. Joining them in the playoff matches are the Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Mumbai Indians, who also demonstrated their spirit and successfully secured spots among the playoff contenders. Team Analysis for IPL 2023 Playoffs The IPL playoffs provide a stage where teams showcase their skills and strategies in intense matches that fascinate millions of fans worldwide. Let’s analyze the four qualified teams in the IPL playoffs in 2023. Gujarat Titans This is Gujarat Titans’ second appearance in the playoffs. They started the IPL journey in 2022 and won the first title in the inaugural year. In IPL 2023, they won 10 matches out of the 14. The Gujarat Titans team showcased a remarkably balanced squad without any noticeable weaknesses. They boosted their team by acquiring seven fresh talents through the auction, resulting in a complete team consisting of 25 players. Read more: Mehidy eyes county cricket opportunity with Warks And we already have seen the results. Players like Mohammed Shami, Shubman Gill, and Rashid Khan showed outstanding performances in the group stage. Mohammed Shami showcased his exceptional bowling skills, which played a vital role in maintaining their competitiveness by taking 24 wickets. Rashid Khan’s spin prowess was equally significant, as he claimed 24 wickets, exerting pressure on their adversaries. Further, Shubman Gill’s 680 runs in 14 appearances were tremendous too. Overall, Gujarat Titans are the most balanced team in IPL 2023, and they have a huge chance to win the title again this year. Chennai Super Kings Chennai Super Kings have an impressive track record, qualifying for the playoffs in 12 out of the total seasons they have participated in. Their exceptional performance has resulted in winning the IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. After Gujarat Titans, CSK is the second-best balanced team in the IPL 2023. As expected, Chennai Super Kings once again boast an abundance of all-round options in this IPL. Within their top seven, they possessed four exceptional players in the likes of Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shivam Dube. However, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali couldn’t give their best. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group A These talented individuals have the ability to alter the course of a match at any given moment, adding a dynamic element to the team’s composition. But this year, Devon Conway has become CSK’s asset as he scored 585 runs and became one of the top five batters in IPL 2023. Ravindra Jadeja also gave his best in the group stage as he took 17 wickets while scoring 153 runs. Lucknow Super Giants In their second appearance in the IPL, Lucknow Super Giants have made significant improvements to their squad since the 2022 season. Lucknow Super Giants geared up for the 2023 season with notable additions such as Nicholas Pooran, Amit Mishra, and Jaydev Unadkat. But Nicholas Pooran seems to be an asset for the team, as he scored 358 and became one of the top three batters for LSG. However, Marcus Stoinis, Kyle Mayers, Ravi Bishnoi, and Mark Wood played their regular game and helped the team reach the playoffs. Further LSG tried some young talents such as Yash Thakur, Naveen-ul-Haq and Prerak Mankad. Apparently, each of these players showed their class even though they appeared in a few matches. They seem to be the key players for Lucknow Super Giants in upcoming seasons. Read more: Bangladesh A earn hardfought draw against West Indies A Mumbai Indians Five times IPL trophy winner Mumbai Indians is considered one of the most successful teams of the IPL tournament. Mumbai Indians won the IPL trophies in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020. Despite their five-time championship legacy, the Mumbai Indians failed to meet expectations in the 2022 edition of the IPL, delivering their poorest performance to date. They concluded the season at the bottom of the points table. But, this year, they seemed to be determined to do better. And all started with some notable changes in the mini-auction. With the presence of Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, Tim David, and Rohit Sharma in their squad, Mumbai has a tough batting lineup capable of dismantling any bowling attack on their best days. Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff took care of the bowling side in the group stage. Which Team has a Great Chance of winning IPL 2023? The Gujarat Titans (GT) have a legitimate chance of clinching victory in IPL 2023. Their exceptional performances throughout the season resulted in them securing the top position on the points table. With a remarkable display of strength and consistency, they have positioned themselves as challenging contenders for the championship. Nevertheless, cricket is a game filled with uncertainties, making it challenging to accurately guess match outcomes. The ultimate result will depend upon the Gujarat Titans’ performance during the playoffs, where their ability to deliver under pressure will determine their fate. Read more: Asia Cup Cricket 2023: Analysis of Group B Final Words The Payoffs will start with the qualifier match between Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings on May 23. The team analysis for the IPL 2023 Playoffs reveals a challenging lineup of contenders. The Gujarat Titans, displaying remarkable dominance throughout the season, secured their playoff spot as the frontrunners. Alongside them, the Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Mumbai Indians showcased their resilience and determination, earning their well-deserved positions among the playoff contenders. As the stage is set for the thrilling playoffs, fans eagerly anticipate the clash of these exceptional teams, each competing for the ultimate glory of becoming champions of the IPL 2023 season.

The much-anticipated 16th season of the Indian Premier League will commence on March 31, fighting all ten franchises against one another in a thrilling race to the desired title. Only seven teams have successfully become champions in the past 15 years of IPL, with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings being the most prominent. Four teams have won the IPL title once: Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad, the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, and the inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals. The Royals almost won the IPL for the second time last year. On the other hand, no IPL trophy has been grabbed by Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants, the four active teams in the league. So, who may win this year's IPL? Let’s find out some of the former players’ predictions and our predictions about the probable winner of IPL 2023. Read More: IPL 2023: Schedule, Fixtures, Venues, Team List Top Favorite Teams Who Can Win IPL 2023 As the tournament progresses, predictions can no longer remain the same. We may take an educated guess based on a team's performance, but nothing is certain. With that note, we have come out with four teams with a great chance of winning the IPL 2023. Gujarat Titans The Gujarat Titans, the winner of IPL 2022, had a very consistent roster, using fewer players than any other side. They had one of the toughest and most well-rounded bowling squads in the tournament, with a variety of options to choose from in any situation. Their death-overs economy rate was the lowest of the competition, at an astonishing 9.6. Hardik Pandya, David Miller, and Rahul Tewatiya provided invaluable assistance to the team, their persistence in difficult moments earning them victories in unlikely circumstances. These players will be an asset for Gujarat this year. In addition to that, they have bought some highly skilled players such as Shivam Mavi, Joshua Little, and Kane Williamson. Read More: Four Bangladeshi Cricketers to Compete in IPL 2023 Auction Kane Williamson was drafted in by the Gujarat-based side to boost the top order, although questions regarding his health and run rate remain. Gujarat’s possible starting lineup may look like this: Shubhman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Matthew Wade, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatiya, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohammad Shami, Alzarri Joseph Gujarat players who can change the momentum: Shivam Mavi, Yash Dayal, Pradeep Sangwan, Jayant Yadav. At the Wankhede Stadium, where bowlers can take advantage of the swinging and seaming conditions in the early stages, Gujarat Titans may be drawn to utilize Mavi, Dayal, or Sangwan as influential individuals based on the competition. Meanwhile, Jayant could be a great help on pitches that are slower, particularly in the Powerplay, as he could provide economical overs. Read More: ‘More experienced’ Chandika aims to find own game plan Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians supporters would likely prefer to put last season aside when they finished at the bottom of the standings. However, they have been able to acquire the services of two very promising players, Dewald Brevis, and Tilak Verma. The IPL auction 2023 saw a strong bidding war for Cameron Green, who was eventually acquired by Mumbai Indians for 17.50 crores. With Jofra Archer back in the team and forming a bowling partnership with Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians have a strong attack that can challenge any batting lineup. Mumbai Indians’ possible starting lineup may look like this: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Cameron Green, Jofra Archer, Hrithik Shokeen, Kumar Kartikeya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Jason Behrendorff. Read More: IPL 2023: Schedule, Fixtures, Venues, Team List Mumbai players who can change the momentum: Piyush Chawla, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan, and Vishnu Vinod. The fact that MI re-signed Piyush Chawla in the auction pointed to one thing: the desire to use his leg-spin for four overs as a game-changing element, something that might not have been possible otherwise. Arjun and Arshad could be of great benefit when encountering right-arm fast bowlers or batting orders vulnerable to left-arm bowlers. Vishnu Vinod, a powerful hitter, can be employed in close matches where teams are required to bolster their batting. Read More: BAN vs ENG Series 2023: Bangladesh ODI Squad Analysis Chennai Super Kings Apparently, it is Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s last IPL. So, he will surely try to make it memorable by winning the tournament. Chennai, four-time IPL title holders, had a disastrous campaign last year, limping to a ninth-place finish with only four victories. Chennai supporters are eagerly anticipating the return of the traditional home-and-away format this year, hoping their team will be stronger in their home ground Chepauk, restoring its former glory and making it a solid stronghold.  The team invested 16.25 crore in acquiring Ben Stokes, who will bring both tangible and intangible benefits to the squad. There is even speculation that MS Dhoni might be handing over the captaincy reigns to Stokes. Read More: BAN vs ENG Series 2023: Key ODI Records, Who Holds Advantage in Records So Far Chennai Super Kings' possible starting lineup may look like this: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dubey, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Mahesh Theekshana, and Mukesh Chaudhary Chennai players who can change the momentum: Simarjit Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Prashant Solanki, and Rajvardhan Hangargekar. It should not come as a surprise if Dhoni opts to replace Prashant Solanki as a game-changer, even though Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja are already in the XI at Chepauk, where spin is often used to attack batsmen. On the other hand, Simarjit and Deshpande are likely to be taken out of the game if any of the bowlers give up too many runs. Hangargekar is likely to serve as a pinch hitter, willing to sacrifice his wicket for the team's benefit and swing his bat hard when needed. Read More: Bangladesh vs England ODI Series 2023 Preview: Schedule, Fixtures, Team Rajasthan Royals IPL’s first-season winner and IPL 2022’s runners-up, Rajasthan Royals, will certainly put their best to bring the trophy back after 15 years. Nevertheless, they were very close last year. Despite their amazing performance last year, there was a definite imbalance on their side. To accommodate five true bowlers, they were always lacking a batting contributor. In order to address the problem, the Royals acquired Jason Holder, whose presence alongside Trent Boult is sure to have a substantial impact on bouncy surfaces. His powerful hitting also makes him an integral part of the team. Rajasthan Royals' possible starting lineup may look like this: Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Paddikal, Riyan Parag, Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmeyer, Jason Holder, Ravi Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, and Yuzvendra Chahal. Read More BAN vs ENG Series 2023: England Squad Analysis Rajasthan players who can change the momentum: Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Murugan Ashwin, and Akash Vashist. Considering Kuldeep's speed and the shortage of competent choices in their team, Rajasthan may decide to utilize him as a lethal death bowler through the Impact Player rule. Rajasthan will be able to keep the middle overs in check if they call on Navdeep or Murugan Ashwin, depending on the nature of the pitch; the former as a hit-the-deck bowler and the latter as a spinner. Vashist is a left-hander; he will be especially useful in countering the opposition's strategies. So, among the four teams, who do you think has the best chance to take the IPL trophy to their home? Well, it is tough to predict this very early. But, considering the facts and their players' profile, Gujarat may keep the title to their home this year. Read More: England Men's Cricket Team Arrives Dhaka for White Ball Series

Ageing maestro Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings won their fourth Indian Premier League title, beating two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final on Friday. Chennai, playing its ninth IPL final, made an imposing 192-3 after being put into bat by Kolkata skipper Eoin Morgan. Kolkata, which had chased down 199 in the 2012 final against Chennai, crumbled to 125-8 before tailenders Shivam Mavi (20) and Lockie Ferguson (17 not out) dragged them to 165-9. Openers Shubman Gill (51) and Venkatesh Iyer (50) put on a solid 91-run stand, then Kolkata lost its way completely, losing eight wickets for just 34 runs in a dramatic collapse. Fast bowler Shardul Thakur, who has replaced Axar Patel in India's Twenty20 World Cup squad, picked up 3-38 while Josh Hazzlewood (2-29) and Ravindra Jadeja (2-37) ran through Kolkata's middle order. All four top-order Chennai batsmen were amongst the runs, led by Faf du Plessis' 86 off 59 balls. But the South African had a lucky escape on 2 when Dinesh Karthik missed a regulation stumping. Ferguson (0-56) had an off day and conceded the second most runs by a bowler in an IPL final. The three cameos by Moeen Ali (37 not out), tournament top-scorer Ruturaj Gaikwad (32) and Robin Uthappa (31) helped Chennai to set a formidable total.

​​​​​​​Delhi Capitals team was confident that they could make it three in a row after winning their two round-robin league matches against Chennai Super Kings. However, Chennai captain MS Dhoni displayed his flamboyant charisma at the most crunch moment of the game, leading his team to victory with two balls to spare. Chennai advanced to the 14th edition of the tournament final after defeating Delhi in the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match. Delhi Capitals will play the winner of the eliminator match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in qualifier 2 for a final berth. Match Report: CSK vs. DC The captain of Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni opted to field first against Delhi Capitals in the first qualifying match in Dubai on Sunday (October 10) Delhi’s Innings  Delhi Capitals batted first and set up a challenging 172/5 runs in their allocated 20 overs. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan partnered for a 36-run opening stand, with Prithvi taking the initiative to get the scoreboard moving quickly. Shikhar Dhawan was struggling to time the ball and was finally bowled by Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over. Read: Shakib, Mustafiz set to leave IPL to join national team Getting the first wicket helped Chennai to increase the pressure on the Delhi batsmen. They lost three more wickets within 11 overs, including Prithvi Shaw. The excellent left-hand batsman lost his wicket to Ravindra Jadeja after an aggressive 60 off 34 balls. Delhi skipper Rishab Pant and Windies power hitter Shimron Hetmyer (37) repaired the innings with an 83-run partnership in the fifth wicket and took the total to 163. Rishab Pant remained undefeated with a 51* off 35 balls. Josh Hazlewood was Chennai's most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 29 runs in four overs. Chennai’s Innings Chasing 173 runs, Chennai's most inform batsman Faf du Plessis was dismissed in the opening over. He was clean bowled by compatriot Anrich Nortje on the fourth ball of the first over. However, the loss of an early wicket had little effect on Chennai's momentum in the run chase. Read: IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs? A 110-run second-wicket partnership between Ruturaj Gaikwad and the experienced Robin Uthappa helped Chennai stay in the game. They took the total to 113 in the 14th over. Both batsmen were steady and did not take any needless risks while forming the partnership. Uthappa was dismissed in the14th over after a 63-run knock. On the other hand, Gaikwad remained at the crease till the 19th over, ensuring Chennai's progress in the run chase. However, the match took a dramatic turn when in-form Avesh Khan sent Gaikwad back to the pavilion on the first ball of the 19th over. Chennai needed 24 runs in 11 balls at that point. With two new batsmen at the crease, they were under a lot of pressure to get those runs. However, skipper MS Dhoni came out as a savior for his team and ensured victory with some blistering strokes. Read:IPL 2021: Delhi secure Qualifier 1 with 3-wicket win against Chennai Dhoni sealed the victory by smashing Tom Curran for a boundary in the last over's fourth ball. He stayed unbeaten, with a match-winning 18 off 6 balls knock. Taking three wickets, Curran was Delhi's most successful bowler in this game.  Player of the Match Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was awarded the best player of the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match for his responsible 70-run knock. Way Forward Delhi Capitals lost to Chennai Super Kings for the first time of the IPL 2021 season. They overcame Chennai twice in the league phase and were considered favorites to win the IPL 2021 qualifier 1 match. However, responsible knocks by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa, as well as MS Dhoni's fiery innings, saw Chennai defeat Delhi in the first match of the playoffs round. This will be the 9th IPL final for Chennai Super Kings. Read:IPL 2021: Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan in three-way race for a playoffs spot On the other hand, Delhi Capitals must win the second qualifier match to advance to the IPL final for the second year in a row. Delhi finished runner-up after losing the IPL 2020 final to Mumbai Indians. The qualifier 2 match will take place in Sharjah on Wednesday (13th October).

Delhi Capitals have secured the qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs round after defeating Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets in Dubai. Delhi currently top the points table with 20 points and a game in hand. They will play Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday (October 8) and have a chance to finish top in the IPL 2021 round-robin league points table. On the other hand, Chennai must win their last league match against Punjab Kings on Thursday (October 7) to finish in the top two spots in the standings. The match report of CSK vs. DC is discussed in this article. Match Report: CSK vs. DC Delhi Capitals captain Rishab Pant chose to field first against Chennai Super Kings on Monday in Dubai. Chennai’s Innings   Chennai Super Kings batted first and managed to score 136/5 In their allocated 20 overs. They got off to a good start, as the opening pair put up 28 runs in three overs. However, Chennai's batting collapsed when Faf Du Plessis left the crease, as they lost four wickets for 62 runs in nine overs. Read: IPL 2021: Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan in three-way race for a playoffs spot Indian spinner Axar Patel was the real difference-maker between the two teams. He provided the first breakthrough for Delhi by taking Faf Du Plessis' wicket. He also sent Moeen Ali back to the pavilion in the eighth over. MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu put on a 70-run partnership to help Chennai rebuild their innings. They kept a close eye on the scoreboard in the middle but didn't strive too hard to accelerate the run rates. These two players stayed at the crease till the last over for a competitive total. However, they were unable to produce big shots in the death overs and were forced to settle for a low total. Ambati Rayudu scored the highest runs with 55 off 43 balls, while Dhoni made 18 runs. Delhi's spinners had shown excellent discipline in the middle. They were on target and didn't let them free their arms. Axar Patel took the highest two wickets for 18 runs in his four overs. Ravi Ashwin and pacer Kagiso Rabada were both outstanding with the ball for Delhi. Read: KKR vs. PBKS: KL Rahul guides Punjab to 5-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021 Delhi’s Innings Delhi Capitals bowlers did their job very well by limiting Chennai to a manageable score. Delhi reached the 137-run target with two balls to spare. Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan gave Delhi a solid start with a 24-run opening partnership between them. Dhawan assumed control of the innings following the departure of Prithvi Shaw (18). Delhi looked strong in the middle but their batting order crumbled, and things looked worse when Dhawan (39) lost his wicket in the 15th over. Delhi were 99/6 at the time. Delhi fought back with an undefeated 28* off 18 balls knock from West Indian power batter Shimron Hetmyer, and triumphed in 19.4 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur were outstanding with the ball. For Chennai, they each took two wickets. Read T20 World Cup: Bangladesh team reaches Oman Player of the Match Delhi Capitals spinner Axar Patel was named the best player of the match for his brilliant effort with the ball.     Bottom Line Chennai Super Kings have now lost two consecutive games, and the momentum has shifted back to the Delhi Capitals, who have won two successive matches. Chennai must defeat Punjab in order to secure qualifier 1 spot in the playoffs. Otherwise, they will have to rely on the results of Bangalore's fixtures. Chennai's top order struggled against Delhi, putting the middle order under strain. As a result, they had to settle for a low total to defend. Chennai's top order must rediscover their best rhythm before the crucial playoffs round. On the other side, the Rishab Pant-led Delhi Capitals team has done well as a unit. They have the depth and balance in their squad to win the IPL 2021 tournament. Read: IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race

The IPL of the 2021 season kicked off on April 9th. The final match of the IPL 2021 will be played on May 30 at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad after a month and a half of the competition. Mumbai Indians have won the last two editions of the IPL and they are again a strong contender for the title this year. However, other teams are determined to dethrone Mumbai and win the IPL but which team has more chance to win the trophy? In this article, we discussed who will win the IPL 2021? The favorites, underdogs, and outsiders. Who are the favorites to win the IPL 2021? Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians are now the most confident team in the league after winning the previous two IPL tournaments.So they were not seen to be very active in this year’s IPL auction. Mumbai have complete trust in their IPL-winning squad in the search for a hat-trick title. There are a handful of match-winning players in the squad who can decide the outcome of a match on their own. Top five players of Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain, batsman), Kieron Pollard (all-rounder), Hardik Pandya (all-rounder), Trent Bolt (pacer), Jasprit Bumrah (pacer) Kolkata Knight Riders Kolkata Knight Riders have not won an IPL tournament since 2014. So, Kolkata have put together a very strong team for the 2021 season in order to reclaim the title.After a three-year absence, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is back in the Kolkata squad this season. The squad also has a number of spinners. As a result, Kolkata Knight Riders are the strongest spin-reliant team in this year's IPL. Ian Morgan-led Kolkata Knight Riders have a genuine chance to win the IPL 2021 if they can stay consistent in the final part of the season. Top five players of Kolkata Knight Riders: Ian Morgan (captain, batsman), Andre Russell (all-rounder), Shakib Al Hasan (all-rounder), Sunil Narine (all-rounder), Pat Cummins (pacer) Read: BAN vs SL Cricket Test series 2021: Expected personal milestones to achieve Royal Challengers Bangalore  Every year, Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore enter the IPL as a tournament favorite. However, they are yet to win an IPL tournament. As always, Bangalore have put together a formidable squad for the 14th edition of the IPL. Australia's Glenn Maxwell has been added to their squad for the 2021 IPL campaign. In addition, the squad contains a number of star cricketers. Let's see if team Bangalore can change its IPL fortune this time! Top five players of Royal Challengers Bangalore: ViratKohli (captain, batsman), Glenn Maxwell (all-rounder), AB de Villiers (batsman), Kyle Jamieson (pacer), YuzvendraChahal (spinner) Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Analysis of Bangladesh’s Test Squad for Sri Lanka Series Sunrisers Hyderabad Sunrisers Hyderabad haven't won the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2016. Sunrisers Hyderabad have been led by Australian David Warner for the past few years and they have consistently made it to the knockout stages of the tournament. Sunrisers have some great t20 format players. As a result, they are one of the favorites of this year's tournament like every time. Top five players of Royal Challengers Hyderabad: David Warner (captain, batsman), Rashid Khan (spinner), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (pacer), Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper), Kane Williamson (batsman)  Who are the underdogs to win the IPL 2021? Chennai Super Kings Chennai Super Kings have always been considered a favorite, but they are labeled underdogs this season. Dhoni's team has a number of world-class cricketers, but most of them are over 30 years old. With such a team, the odds of winning the IPL are slightly lower than with other teams. So it would not be right to expect much from team Chennai this time. Top five players of Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain, wicket-keeper), Faf du Plessis (batsman), Suresh Raina (batsman), Moeen Ali (all-rounder), Sam Curran (all-rounder) Read: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five Things Bangladesh Cricket Team Must Do To win the Test Series in Sri Lanka Delhi Capitals Many people are betting on Delhi Capitals to win the 14th edition of the IPL since they were runner-up in the previous edition. While Delhi have some talented players, their lack of experience may lead them to fall behind other teams. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will take over as captain in place of the injured ShreyasIyer. It will be interesting to see how far Delhi will go under his leadership. Top five players of Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (captain, wicket-keeper), ShikharDhawan (batsman), Marcus Stoinis (all-rounder), Tom Curran (all-rounder), Steve Smith (batsman)  Who are the outsiders to win the IPL 2021?  Rajasthan Royals Rajasthan Royals have a number of outstanding T20 cricketers, among them is South African all-rounder Chris Morris. He was the most expensive player in the 2021 IPL auction. Rajasthan paid $ 2.3 million for Morris at auction. Rajasthan is predicted to do well in this year's IPL under the leadership of CaptainSanju Samson. However, they are currently regarded as one of the outsiders to win the trophy. Top five players of Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain, batsman), Chris Morris (all-rounder), Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Ben Stokes (all-rounder), Mustafizur Rahman (pacer) Read: T20 World Cup 2021: Five Things the Bangladesh Team Needs To Address Before the World T20 2021 Punjab Kings PreityZinta's team will compete in the IPL 14 under the new name Punjab Kings this year. Although the squad has some talented players, it is not particularly strong in comparison to other teams. As a result, dreaming of winning the championship right now would be wrong. Punjab will have to maintain continuity at the league level in order to secure a spot in the top four of the points table. Top five players of Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (captain, wicket-keeper), Riley Meredith (pacer), Jhye Richardson (all-rounder), Chris Gayle (batsman), Mohammad Shami (pacer) Verdict We have analyzed the strengths of the teams to identify who will win the IPL 2021? And also to find out the favorites, underdogs, and outsiders of the tournament. After assessing each team's strengths, it is apparent that the Mumbai Indians are once again the hot favorite. In addition, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad all have an equal chance of winning the IPL in 2021. However, teams in good form at the end of the tournament would have a great chance of winning the trophy. Overall, we expect the tournament's best team will win the trophy. Read: How to Become a Cricketer in Bangladesh: An Overall Guideline