Familiar territory: Sai Sudharsan, left, and Sai Kishore’s, right, knowledge of the conditions at Chepauk could come in handy for the Titans.
| Photo Credit: RAGHUNATHAN SR

 The last time Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans met, it was one of the best matches of the IPL in a thrilling final last year in Ahmedabad, where the former triumphed.

On Tuesday, the battlelines will be drawn again when last year’s finalists face off in their second league match here at the MAC Stadium. Both teams started their 2024 campaign on a winning note under new captains and will look to build some early momentum. CSK was clinical in dispatching Royal Challengers Bengaluru and, with its explosive batting line-up, the hosts will feel it has a slight edge. In contrast, Titans had to work harder against Mumbai Indians to post a six-run win on Sunday.

Despite the easy six-wicket win against RCB, the five-time champion will now want to fix the flaws from the first game. Death bowling will be one area, as CSK conceded 71 in the last five overs.

Visiting teams often struggle on the slow surfaces at Chepauk against the Super Kings’ quality spin attack, and how well the Titans’ batters ace that challenge could have a say in the outcome of the game. Against Mumbai, the Gujarat batters left runs on the table, and they will want to put in more effort.

But on the bowling front, both teams are evenly matched. The Titans have an equally good spin attack led by Rashid Khan and local lad R. Sai Kishore. More importantly, Gujarat has as many as five Tamil Nadu players in its line-up, and their knowledge of the conditions could come in handy.