All eyes are set to be on the Indian cricketing stalwart as he aims to lead his franchise to a record-equalling fifth title; Mumbai Indians are the only team to have won the tournament five times.
Facing Dhoni are last year’s winners and straight second time finalists Gujarat Titans, playing on home soil at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Spearheading the Titans’ attack is opener Shubman Gill, who just scored his third century – on Friday – at the same venue as the final. Gill’s three IPL tons have all come in his last four innings, his latest a brutal 129 off 60 balls to demolish five-time winners Mumbai Indians and take him to the top of the scoring charts.
“He would certainly be the example you would like to use towards young players on how to bat,” Gujarat’s director of cricket and former England batsman Vikram Solanki said of Gill on Saturday. “If you are trying to model yourself on a particular player he has all of the qualities of a world-class player.”
Gujarat, led by Hardik Pandya, have extended a fairytale journey which began with a title in their debut season last year, when Pandya raised the Cup in Ahmedabad in front of a record 101,566 fans at the 132,000-capacity stadium.
“We have to play good cricket, put in our 100 percent,” said Pandya. “Knockouts could go either way.”In Gujarat’s arsenal are also the league’s most in-form bowlers, with Afghan spinner Rashid Khan and pacer Mohammed Shami bagging 55 wickets between them.
The duo are in a tight race for the purple cap – given to the player with the most wickets at the end of the season – with Shami on 28 and Rashid on 27.
Sunday’s final will be a repeat of the first play-off match, earlier in the week, in which Dhoni & Co. came out on top by 15 runs.
Gujarat took the hard route to the final, facing Mumbai Indians in a second playoff game. But, led by Gill, the team trashed Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai team by 62 runs.
“It’s really hard not to look too far ahead and dream of winning it again,” Chennai coach Stephen Fleming told reporters.
“You got to stay very present of what you are going to do against Gujarat, an excellent side, most consistent side throughout the competition. We can’t afford to dream too much.”
In the season that is likely Dhoni’s last dance, the wicketkeeper batsman has opted to come in at the end of his team’s innings to help finish things off, with the 41-year-old no longer the athlete he used to be when he started out as Chennai’s captain in 2008, when the tournament first began. On reports of his retirement, Dhoni said he would always be available in any capacity for the team.
Openers Devon Conway (625 runs) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (564) have provided Chennai with good starts, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja came into his own in the team’s last win.
Indian fast bowler Tushar Deshpande and Sri Lankan quick Matheesha Pathirana have led the bowling charge with 21 and 17 wickets.
With inputs from Agencies
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