IPL 2023: Shubman Gill Shines as Gujarat Titans Beat Chennai Super Kings To Win Tournament Opener

IPL 2023, CSK vs GT match highlights: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 kicked off with an exciting match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans won the match by five wickets, thanks to a brilliant half-century by Shubman Gill and some crucial contributions from Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan in the slog overs.

Toss: Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to field.

Debutants: Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Joshua Little made their IPL debut for CSK and Gujarat Titans, respectively.

Innovations: The sixteenth edition of the tournament includes several innovations, such as an ‘impact player’ who can replace a player in the starting XI at any time during the match. Teams can also announce the playing XIs after the toss instead of before.

CSK’s Innings: Ruturaj Gaikwad Shines with 92 runs 

CSK won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad set the stage on fire with his magnificent 92-run knock off 50 balls, which included nine sixes and just four fours. Gaikwad’s knock helped CSK post a formidable 178/7 in 20 overs. Moeen Ali also contributed with a 17-ball 23, which included a flat six off Mohammad Shami on a free-hit ball. Legendary MS Dhoni also turned back the clock and hit a monstrous six over deep square leg to entertain the fans at Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gujarat’s Innings: Gill and Co. Chase Down the Target

In response, Gujarat Titans started on a high as Wriddhiman Saha smashed a couple of sixes to put pressure on Chennai. However, he failed to convert it into a big score and was dismissed for 25 off 16 balls. Sai Sudharshan came out to bat at number 3 as he replaced injured Kane Williamson as the Impact Player for the Titans. The southpaw also failed to convert a solid start into something big and was dismissed for 22.

Also read: ind-vs-aus-4th-test-shubman-gill-completes-2nd-test-hundred-puts-fans

While Gill stood strong and found boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard moving at a healthy rate. He scored 63 runs off 36 balls, which was laced with six fours and three sixes. The talented opener was dismissed by Tushar Deshpande, the first-ever Impact Player in IPL history. Gill went for a big shot but mistimed and got caught by Gaikwad.

Skipper Hardik Pandya also struggled to get going and was castled for 8 by his Indian teammate Ravindra Jadeja.23 runs were required from the last two overs as Deepak Chahar bowled the penultimate one, and 15 runs came off it. Rashid Khan, who spun his magic with the ball, showed his batting prowess by smashing a six and a four.

In the final over, Debutant Rajvardhan Hangargekar bowled with 8 runs to defend. He started with a wide, while Tewatia connected a six on the first legal delivery to make it a cakewalk, and then a straight drive on the second ball sealed the deal for the Titans.

Gujarat Titans Start on a Winning Note

Defending champions Gujarat Titans started their title defence with a crucial 5-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of Indian Premier League 2023. The match was filled with several thrilling moments, and fans were treated to some excellent cricket. The Gujarat Titans showed why they are the defending champions, while CSK will have to improve their performance in the upcoming matches to stay