IPL 2023 – First Match Gujarat Titans (GT) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK),Match Prediction – The IPL Returns for its XVI season on March 31 At the iconic Stadium Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, with the Defending Champions Gujarat Titans(GT) hosting Chennai Super Kings(CSK). CSK looked shaky last season, finishing Ninth in the points table. With four wins and ten losses in 14 games, the Super Kings produced their worst performance in league history.
CSK will look to be at their best in this year’s competition under legendary captain MS Dhoni, having learned from their mistakes in previous years. At the 2023 IPL auctions held in December last year, the four-time IPL champions also landed swashbuckling England all-rounder Ben Stokes for a hefty sum of INR 16.25 crore. The franchise expects England Test captain Joe Root to be at his best in his debut season with CSK and justify the money spent on him.
MS.Dhoni and company will try to Start their IPL 2023 campaign with a win against the Hardik Pandya-led Titans in Ahmedabad. The CSK team management will look to select its best-playing XI in order to win the opening match.
The following is Chennai Super Kings’ predicted starting lineup for the inaugural IPL 2023 match against Gujarat Titans:
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway are the Starters.
CSK will rely on Ruturaj Gaikwad to help them get off to a winning start against Gujarat. He had been the most impactful player for the Super Kings with the bat over the previous two seasons. The right-handed batter was critical to CSK’s last title win in 2021. The Pune-born batter also scored 635 runs in 16 IPL 2021 matches, finishing as the competition’s leading run-scorer and earning the Orange Cap.
Along with Gaikwad, New Zealand batter Devon Conway’s performance against the defending champions will be critical. His inclusion in the starting XI will create an ideal right-left opening combination with the winner of the 2021 Orange Cap. The left-handed batter performed admirably for the franchise in the most recent IPL season, scoring 252 runs in seven games with a strike rate of 145.66.
Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, and Ben Stokes are in the middle order.
Moeen Ali was a standout performer for CSK in the previous two editions. The southpaw has 601 runs in 25 games with a strike rate of 137.52. He is looking forward to continuing his form with the bat for the team this year. With his aggressive playing style, he will be a vital cog in strengthening the batting unit against GT. Amabati Rayudu has proven his worth to CSK on numerous occasions. His bat, on the other hand, has largely remained silent in recent seasons. Previous Year,He Scored Two Hundred Seventy Four Runs in 13 matchs At Strike Rate 122.32. This time, he’d try to regain his form by getting off to a fast start against the Titans.
Ben Stokes, who was one of the most expensive players in the IPL 2023 auction, will be the focus of attention. The illustrious England all-rounder will be crucial in strengthening CSK’s top-order batting line-up. He is expected to back himself to make an important contribution to his team against the quality GT bowling attack. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni are both all-rounders and finishers.
CSK’s management will rely on Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round abilities to get their IPL campaign off to a strong start. Last year, the 34-year-old struggled to affect the squad in all areas of the game. But, putting bitter memories aside, his goal in the upcoming tournament will be to give his all for the team.
MS Dhoni, the franchise’s most devoted supporter, is expected to win another IPL title for his team in 2023. In recent years, he has failed to live up to his bat reputation. However, the legend has always had his good share of victory with the bat in the tournament, which he will try to replicate for his team when CSK plays in front of their home crowd for the first time in four years.
Dwaine Pretorious, Deepak Chahar, Prashant Solanki, and Simarjeet Singh are the bowlers.
Despite South African pacer Dwaine Pretorious poor performance in the previous IPL season, CSK kept him for the 2023 edition. He would be eager to show his efficiency in the marquee event after receiving incredible support from team management. The 34-year-old expects to contribute importantly with the ball in the match against GT.
CSK missed Deepak Chahar’s services last year because the pacer was ruled out of the competition due to a back injury. CSK’s pace attack struggled in his absence, but that may not be the case in the upcoming T20 extravaganza, as he returns to strengthen the CSK bowling line-up. With his experience and skills, he will lead the fast-bowling unit in the crucial match against Gujarat.
Prashant Solanki may be seen assisting Ravindra Jadeja, who will lead the spin attack, in the spin department. The 23-year-old has did appear in a few List A matches and five domestic T20s and will look to put his experience and talent to use for the benefit of the Super Kings.