Battle of wits between new captains Gill and Gaikwad

It will be a battle of wits between two new captains -- Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad -- when defending champions Chennai Super Kings clash with Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League match in Chennai on Tuesday.

Both openers known for their smooth and elegant shot-making will be engaged in a battle of tactical supremacy as CSK and GT will be looking to sustain their momentum after wins in their previous matches.

While Gaikwad was elevated to the captaincy role after the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down as skipper on the eve of CSK'S opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gill had a bit more time to prepare for his new role as he was tasked to lead the Titans after Hardik Pandya left in November last year.

At 24, Gill is the youngest captain in the IPL but he showcased his mettle against MI in the leadership role. However, Gill's task is made tad easier as he has head coach Ashish Nehra, who owns a tactically brilliant mind, the experienced David Miller and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson by his side.

Gaikwad, on the other hand, impressed on his captaincy debut under the tutelage of the talismanic Dhoni as CSK breezed to a six-wicket win against RCB.

But the bowling unit will eye an improved effort especially pacer Tushar Deshpande. After Mustafizur Rahman sizzled with a four-wicket haul, the CSK bowlers let Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik put up a 95-run stand to let RCB put a decent total on the board.

Deshpande was guilty of leaking runs and he would be wary of another mediocre performance with veteran Shardul Thakur, who is also a handy customer with the bat, and the uncapped Mukesh Choudhary lurking around for a chance in the playing XI.