IPL 2023 : Gujarat Titans Defeat Chennai Super Kings in Tournament Opener
The highly anticipated 16th edition of the Indian Premier League began with a clash between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium. The home team was hoping to start their campaign on a high note, while the Super Kings were eager to redeem themselves after a disappointing exit in the previous season’s group stage.
The match saw the introduction of new rules, including the “Impact Player Rule,” which allowed teams to include a player not in the Playing 11 at any moment in either inning. Another new rule gave the bowling side the ability to take a DRS for a ‘Wide or No Ball’ called by the On-field Umpire, while captains were permitted to name the playing 11 after the Toss took place. The Titans won the toss and elected to field first, with the Super Kings opening the batting. Although they got off to a decent start in the powerplay, they lost wickets at regular intervals. However, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s incredible 92 off just 50 balls at a strike rate of 184 kept the Super Kings in the game. None of the other batters could get going, and the Super Kings finished with a total of 179 runs.
In response, the Titans started well, with Saha, Gill, and Sai Sudarshan all making good starts and playing as per the situation demanded. Shubman Gill top-scored with 63 off just 36 balls, putting the Titans in the driver’s seat in the run-chase. The Super Kings did manage to stage a comeback after Gill’s dismissal, but valuable contributions from Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, and, most importantly, Rashid Khan, took the Titans home with four balls to spare. Khan scored 10 runs off just three balls when the team needed 10 runs per over, securing the Titans’ victory.
The Titans were thrilled with the outcome, with Hardik Pandya, the Gujarat Titans captain, expressing his satisfaction with the team’s performance. Although they put themselves in a difficult situation at the end, Tewatia and Khan did a brilliant job. Pandya acknowledged that they were happy at the mid-innings point, as the Super Kings appeared to be on track to score 200 runs, but they managed to take a couple of wickets to get back in the game. He also noted that having Rashid Khan was a valuable asset, as he could take wickets and score runs. However, Pandya emphasized that the batters needed to take responsibility for their shot selection and ensure that the lower order did not feel pressure when they came to bat.
On the other hand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, was disappointed with the outcome but acknowledged that the Titans had played better. He remarked that they would have bowled first if they had won the toss, as the wicket looked good, and he did not think it would change much during the course of the game. Dhoni also highlighted that the capacity of the stadium was twice that of other stadiums in the country, making it a unique experience for the players.
Overall, the first match of IPL 2023 lived up to its hype and delivered an exciting contest that could have gone either way till the very last over.