The IPL 2023 will kick-start with a mouth-watering clash between MS Dhoni‘s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans (GT) at the latter’s home ground – Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
It is the same venue where the Titans defeated the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2022 final, winning the IPL trophy in their debut season itself. CSK were on the other end of the table last season, languishing in the 9th place in the points table, and would be aiming for a turnaround this season in what is all but certain to be MS Dhoni’s last hurrah in the IPL.
For that, the Super Kings bought Ben Stokes in the auction, however Stokes, due to his knee injury, is now allowed to bowl in the initial phase of the tournament. GT have recruited Kane Williamson to bolster their batting department.
As the two teams prepare to go head to head in Ahmedabad, we will see the two biggest match-winners from each for this Match 1 of Indian Premier League 2023.
Gujarat Titans (GT):
Shubman Gill would be really happy to return to Ahmedabad where he’s had some of his best career moments. In the IPL 2022 final vs RR, in Ahmedabad, Gill cracked 45 unbeaten runs and finished the chase with a six. He went even better when he played for India in the 3rd T20I against New Zealand here, smashing his maiden T20I century, a brilliant innings of 126* off 63 balls.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya had perhaps his best IPL career season last year as a player – Pandya took upon himself the initiative to bat higher up the order and scored 487 runs in the season along with taking 8 wickets, 3 of which came in the final.
Since last year’s IPL, Pandya has shot up in stature, performing brilliantly for the national side and has even been promoted to the leadership group. He will be itching to rock back to the IPL and play in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi stadium.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK):
Ruturaj Gaikwad
CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad would like batting on the good surface in Ahmedabad as much as his counterpart Shubman Gill. After a thunderous Orange Cap-winning 2021 season, Gaikwad had a topsy-turvy time in IPL 2022. He rocked back to form in the domestic season for Maharashtra, including smashing 4 centuries, one of which was a double hundred, in 6 List-A matches.
Gaikwad could lit up CSK’s start of their IPL 2022 campaign in Ahmedabad.
Moeen Ali
Likely to be slotted in at number 3, Moeen Ali could be the game-changer for CSK in Ahmedabad, as he’s been in the past two seasons. Ali enjoys batting with freedom, playing his strokes, batting in an attacking brand of cricket, knowing that CSK have a deep batting line-up to make up for early wickets losses.
Ali’s role isn’t restricted to batting. The Englishman can turn the ball and also get it to skid on the surface; the large boundaries at the Narendra Modi stadium will also entice Ali to toss up the ball.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for IPL 2023:
MS Dhoni(c), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Subhranshu Senapati, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Ben Stokes, Sisanda Magala, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma
Gujarat Titans (GT) squad for IPL 2023:
Hardik Pandya(c), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Vijay Shankar, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Noor Ahmad, Jayant Yadav, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, Darshan Nalkande, Pradeep Sangwan, Shivam Mavi, Joshua Little, Kane Williamson, KS Bharat, Odean Smith, Mohit Sharma, Urvil Patel.
