The season opener of the IPL 2023 was played between the defending champions, Gujarat Titans and the Chennai Super Kings. It was a battle of the past and present of the Indian fun88 team. The Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans beat CSK twice last season and continued their winning run in the first game this season as well. They defeated the four-time champions by five wickets after chasing down the target of 179 runs in the last over.
But CSK made a smooth recovery in the second game and covered most of the bases left opened in the first game. CSK posted a total of 217 runs for the loss of seven wickets while batting first again Lucknow Super Giants in their second game. The opening duo of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway provided a flying start to the team and added 110 runs for the first wicket in 9.1 overs. The bowlers did a decent job of restricting LSG to 205 runs and helped CSK win the game by 12 runs.
CSK Team Setup in IPL 2023
MS Dhoni is known for giving opportunities to young players, and the same has happened in the first two games so far. Despite losing the first game, Dhoni didn’t change the playing 11 in the second game. His trust in the players helped CSK dominate LSG in the second game. The team will also likely remain the same in the next few games.
Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and Mitchell Santner have been the four overseas players used by CSK so far in the two games. Stokes has managed just 15 runs with the bat and has failed to pick a wicket in two games so far. The other three players played a key role for CSK in the last game. Moeen was the pick of the bowlers for the team as he picked four wickets for just 26 runs in four overs and won the Player of the Match award. Santner also picked one wicket and gave away 21 runs from his quota of four overs. Conway scored 47 runs off just 29 deliveries against LSG and gave a flying start to the team.
Ruturaj Gaikwad scored another half-century in the last game and is the current orange cap holder. He has scored 149 runs in two games so far at a strike rate of 183.95. Gaikwad has been the highest run-scorer for CSK in the last two seasons and is a player around whom the entire batting unit revolves. Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu are the other two Indian batters in the top order. Dube hit one four and three sixes in the last game, scoring 27 runs off 16 deliveries. Rayudu contributed 27 runs off 14 balls in the previous game. CSK will be hoping for far better performances from both of them and play the role of anchors.
CSK have a deep batting unit as Deepak Chahar, who has two half-centuries to his name in ODIs, bats in the number 10th position. Jadeja and Moeen can play the role of finishers for the team. Dhoni’s two sixes in the last game against an in-form Mark Wood were enough to suggest that he is ‘definitely not’ finished yet and can play the role of finisher when required.
Chahar, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, and Tushar Deshpande have formed the pace attack of the CSK in the first two games. Hangargekar picked up three wickets for 36 runs in the first game, while Deshpande took two wickets in the last game. CSK have Dwaine Pretorius in the squad, who can be used as an impact player going forward. They will have the services of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana next week.
Important Upcoming Encounters for CSK
CSK will play their next three games against Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore, respectively. There has been a healthy rivalry between CSK and these three teams, and hence, these are some of the important encounters for CSK. Two out of the next five games are home matches for Chennai Super Kings, and they will be looking for a positive result from these matches. By the time they play their fourth game against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday (April 12), CSK will likely have the complete squad available for selection.
Can CSK Win IPL 2023?
On the batting front, CSK have one of the most experienced squad, and the current form of some of the batters makes them one of the best teams. But the same can’t be said about their bowling unit. The bowling clearly lacks experience and might get exposed when the team plays on tracks where spinners might not get enough help. CSK lacks a strong bowling unit, which might cost them games going forward. They might perform better than last year for sure this time. But winning the IPL 2023 might not be possible with the current form of the pacers.
About Author
