The Gujarat Titans are one of the few franchises that have yet to be affected by injuries. Joshua Little injured his hamstring during Ireland's tour of Bangladesh, but he has joined the Titans. David Miller, on the other hand, will not be available till April 3.
Gujarat Titans will face CSK on March 31st at Narendra Modi Stadium to kick off the IPL 2023 season. The battle between the two teams will commence at 7:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time (IST). Last year’s, defending champions proved their worth in their first season in the league. GT opened its IPL 2022 season with a victory over fellow rookie side Lucknow Super Giants, led by Hardik Pandya. GT sustained their winning streak till the IPL 2022 final against Rajasthan Royals when they defeated their opponents to capture their first IPL title.
After such an impressive performance in their first IPL season, the excitement for the next IPL 2023 is already high. GT did well to put up a strong team of players for the IPL 2023 in last year’s mini-auction. To improve their squad, the Ahmedabad-based franchise secured the services of Kane Williamson, Odean Smith, Joshua Little, Mohit Sharma, and Shivam Mavi, among others.
Gujarat is set to start Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, with experienced Kane Williamson coming in at number three. Gill has recently been lighting up the international cricket stage. Gill, who has 1900 runs in 74 IPL matches, will be aiming for the orange cap in the next season and will be eager to get off to a solid start in the opening encounter.
Kane Williamson showers compliments on his Gujarat Titans teammate Shubman Gill#GujaratTitans #ShubmanGill #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/alIbMy4GuG
— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) March 29, 2023
Kane Williamson, one of the finest batters in the world, will lead the Gujarat Titans’ middle order. The 32-year-old has played 76 IPL matches and scored 2101 runs. If he can play at the peak of his game, he will be an important cog in Gujarat’s side. It would be intriguing to watch how he performs in his first game of the season in a new atmosphere.
David Miller will miss the first game due to the ODI series between South Africa and the Netherlands. Matthew Wade, the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, provides a wealth of skill to the team. The 35-year-old has 179 runs in 13 IPL matches, and after a solid season in 2022, Wade will be looking to improve on that as Gujarat takes on Chennai in the season opener.
Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya was outstanding in the last edition of the competition. In their inaugural tournament, Pandya guided the team to their maiden IPL title. Pandya, who is 29 years old, has extensive experience playing in the IPL. The Gujarat captain has appeared in 107 IPL matches, scoring 1963 runs and taking 50 wickets.
Rahul Tewatia is not just a powerful batter, but he is also an excellent fielder. The 29-year-old was instrumental in Gujarat’s pursuit of the IPL title in 2022. Tewatia has 738 runs in 64 IPL matches, as well as 32 wickets. If Tewatia maintains his form, he might play an important part in Gujarat.
Rashid Khan will be one of Gujarat’s most crucial players once the competition begins. Rashid has 112 wickets and 313 runs to his name in 92 IPL matches. He might be crucial in taking wickets in the middle overs and troubling the Chennai batsmen.
Probable XI of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2023 #GujaratTitans #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/HxKF6HBjGa
— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) March 24, 2023
Gujarat Titans bought Sai Kishore for INR 3 crore in the IPL super auctions in 2022. Kishore, who is quite effective with the ball, can also bat reasonably well. Kishore has six wickets after five matches in the IPL.
Alzarri Joseph, who has played 12 IPL matches and taken 13 wickets, is another player who Gujarat spent big money for in the 2022 super auctions. He might be another guy on Gujarat’s team who, if utilized properly, could have a huge influence.
Shivam Mavi is another bowler who might help Gujarat’s pace attack. If he can perform at his peak against Chennai, he might cause severe issues for the CSK.
Mohammed Shami is the main man of Gujarat’s bowling attack, will try to make an immediate impact in the season opener against CSK. Shami has 99 wickets in 93 games played. Shami will have to put up a stellar effort if Gujarat is to win its first IPL title in 2023.
