Chahal and Chahar on opposite ends of the recovery spectrum ahead of Qualifier 2, with one set to return and the other desperate to.
Chahal and Chahar are both battling to be available for the Qualifier 2.
Around these two IPL 2025 final games, Ahmedabad is considerably calmer and more serene. But with their urgency, the Qualifier 2 teams are making up for it. After winning the Eliminator, the Mumbai Indians (MI) headed straight to the airport to catch a chartered flight into Ahmedabad at 4 a.m. Their coaches and medical personnel paid an impromptu visit to the stadium in the evening to inspect the surface and, more crucially, assess the fitness of their injured fast bowler Deepak Chahar.
The only other player to arrive at the stadium was Reece Topley. It might indicate that Richard Gleeson won’t be attending Qualifier 2. In the event that Chahar’s injured left leg is unable to withstand the effort, Topley may receive his MI cap.
Their rivals, the Punjab Kings, have been in the city longer because they finished New Chandigarh on Thursday. They had a laid-back practice in the middle, and Yuzvendra Chahal, who last played on May 18 before being sidelined by a right wrist injury, appeared to be getting back to full health. He played football, made catches, tossed balls, bowled a few overs in the empty net, and wore wrist protection during the session.
MI, who showed there despite not being scheduled to, was frustrated by the three periods of light drizzle that failed to stop PBKS’ training session. Kieron Pollard and Mahela Jayawardene went to see the pitch, but by the time they got there, the entire area was covered.
Chahar’s fitness exam was the actual event for MI. They’re desperate to prepare him. His left knee was cushioned above and beneath. With a resistance band wrapped around his legs, he began with sideways motions. After that, jog gently with intervals. Then quick, crisp runs. All into a fairly hard wind.
Chahar left without making a face, although Ahmedabad is one of the worst places to go if you have a hamstring problem of any kind. It’s a long climb to the changing room. You may have to leave the Players and Match Officials Area if you need to use the lift. But on the eve of the game, he didn’t have to go up to the changing room. Even at ground level, he was cautious to ask assistance when he took an occasional step up. Now, it might depend on how he feels when he wakes up on Sunday following this workout.
Eventually, Jayawardene was able to view the pitch, which is slightly off-center at number seven on the 11-pitch square. GT successfully defended 217 against the Rajasthan Royals on this red-soil field, while CSK successfully protected 230 against GT. Given that these were both significant victories, batting first might be a viable strategy. Despite the fact that dew has not typically been an issue in Ahmedabad, the rain prevented either team from gathering any information on the subject.
It might not seem like it outside, but inside the Motera stadium, it was palpable that this was the eve of a big match.