GT vs CSK Match Preview
We have a fairly good idea of who the main players are going to be in both teams but there are always one or two players that will end up being a bit of a surprise. Overall, GT appears to be a strong bowling unit with Rashid Khan (the most economic bowler in the history of the IPL), Alzarri Joseph, Hardik Pandya (new ball gun), and Mohammad Shami (excellent powerplay wicket-taker) all available for selection.
GT is a bit light on the batting side and will be heavily dependent on Shubman Gill.
CSK is a bit better-balanced in our opinion. They bat deep and have a number of players that can attack from the outset. Moeen Ali and Devon Conway are gun T20 players that will play a massive role in this match. As far as the bowling goes, Deepak Chahar is back and can be expected to make an impact in the powerplay.
Maheesh Theekshana could be someone that makes a name for himself as a death bowler in IPL 2023.
Weather Report
There is no rain forecast for the match. The temperatures are expected to be around the early to mid thirties.
Pitch Report
The pitch at Ahmedabad can be quite versatile. We have seen high-scoring matches on bouncy tracks and we have also seen some pitches that spin a lot. For the opening match of the IPL, expect a flat batting track with a decent amount of bounce and not much help for the batters.
The average score batting first is 159.9 but the average winning score batting first is 172.3. This indicates teams will need around 175 to feel comfortable defending.
Notable stats
Deepak Chahar vs Shubman Gill
Deepak Chahar dominates the powerplay with the new ball. He has an economy rate of just 7.60 and has taken 29 wickets while bowling to RHB in the powerplay. Gill, a right-hander and also someone under pressure to show more intent will be tested against him.
Team News
No major injury concerns for either team. David Miller is not available for selection for the first match and that is a big blow to the Gujarat Titans.
GT vs CSK Probable 11
GT Playing 11
- Shubman Gill
- Matthew Wade (Wk)
- Kane Williamson
- Hardik Pandya (C)
- Sai Sudharsan
- Rahul Tewatia
- Rashid Khan
- R Sai Kishore
- Yash Dayal
- Alzarri Joseph
- Mohammad Shami
CSK Playing 11
- Devon Conway
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Moeen Ali
- Ben Stokes
- Ambati Rayadu
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Shivam Dube
- MS Dhoni (C)
- Tushar Deshpande
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Deepak Chahar
Dream11 Prediction
We think not having David Miller is going to be quite a big blow to the Gujarat Titans. They have a very strong team but without Lockie Ferguson (let go in the auction), the team's death bowling is a concern and its batting is too dependent on Shubman Gill.
We love the odds being offered on CSK by the leading cricket betting sites. We don't think there is much difference between the two teams and this could be a good match to back the underdog.
Top Picks
Devon Conway - He has the highest average among all the batters in IPL 2023. Very consistent although perhaps can work on his strike rate. He is very effective against incoming deliveries and we think he matches up well against the GT bowling lineup.
Hardik Pandya - As the team's best batter and one of the best bowlers, his inclusion is an absolute no-brainer. Hardik Pandya has more than 480 runs in IPL 2022 and had the best strike-rate in the powerplay among the bowlers.
Moeen Ali - We love the way CSK uses Moeen Ali. He is given the license to play freely at the top and almost always bowls a couple of overs. Moeen Ali will not bowl much to RHB but will certainly be introduced when there is a LHB at the crease.
GT vs CSK Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: M Wade, D Conway (C)
Batters: A Rayadu, S Gill, R Gaikwad
All-rounders: M Ali, H Pandya (VC)
Bowlers: D Chahar, M Shami, Rashid-Khan, M Theekshana
GT vs CSK Dream11 Team 2
Keeper: D Conway (C)
Batters: A Rayadu, S Dube, S Gill, R Gaikwad
All-rounders: M Ali, H Pandya (VC)
Bowlers: D Chahar, M Shami, Rashid-Khan, A Joseph
