🏏IPL 2023: Match 1 - CSK vs GT on 31/03/23 at 7:30 PM IST 🏏

Welcome to IPL 2023

Here we go again! Another year, another season, and another chance to celebrate for two months straight with a total of 70 league matches coming your way followed by the playoffs. The bio-bubble might have burst, but the IPL only continues to grow as we enter the 16th edition of the tournament which features a return to the home-away format along with new rules and some new players. 

🏏Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31/03/23 at 7:30 PM IST🏏

Tag and Logo credit goes to Sandy aka Sevenstreaks

Potential India captain Hardik hosts superstar Dhoni in IPL opener.

Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings have proved experts wrong, and 2023 season begins with new rules.

Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, two teams that have specialised in proving haters - and experts - wrong, kick off the new IPL season in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd in Ahmedabad. MS Dhoni in the bright yellow corner; Hardik Pandya, who has seemingly taken the Dhoni route to captaincy and his batting, in the navy blue one.

You never know with Dhoni, but this could well be his farewell IPL season, while for Hardik, a successful title defence could potentially lead to his coronation as India's future full-time white-ball captain. An intra-squad practice session that was thrown open to the public just an hour before the start at Chepauk is a portent of things to come at home, but Super Kings will have to deal with playing five of their first eight games away from home. They had the second-worst economy rate at the death last season with 11.29, but they didn't quite remedy that at the auction.

As for Titans, their major issue last season was the absence of a reliable anchor - they had trialled Vijay Shankar and B Sai Sudharsan in that role - but now they have brought in Kane Williamson, whose elbow is in much better shape than it was last year. Williamson's presence could allow Hardik to float down the order as opposed to float up, something he did often last IPL. Titans' bowling attack too ticks most boxes, with the arrivals of Shivam Mavi and Josh Little - the first Ireland player to be picked in the IPL - strengthening them even further.

PS: Whoever is participating, don't forget to send your predictions for Match 1.

Deadline for toss prediction: 6:59 PM IST

Deadline for rest of the predictions: 7:29 PM IST. 

Yayyyy IPL is officially starting in 2 hours

I hope GT wins!

The tags are gorgeous, Sandy!

Looking forward for the first match of the season! 

Weather Forecast and Pitch Report

According to weather reports, the temperature of Ahmedabad city of India on March 31 (Friday) will be 33° Celcius during the day and fall to 22° Celcius at night. The sky will be clear during the day and night. The chance of rain is 4% during the day and 4% at night. The humidity will be 51% during the day and rise to 59% at night.

Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the high-scoring ground. The average 1st innings total at the stadium is 167 while the average 2nd innings total is 137. The stadium has hosted 10 games so far. The team batting first has won 6 games while the team batting second has won 4 games. The highest-ever total recorded at the stadium is 234/4 by India against New Zealand.

PS: Whoever is participating, don't forget to send your predictions for today's match.

Deadline for toss prediction: 6:59 PM IST

Deadline for rest of the predictions: 7:29 PM IST. 

Possible XI and potential Impact Players for CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Sisanda Magala, Simarjeet Singh/Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theekshana

Possible XI for GT: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph, Shivam Mavi, Mohammed Shami

Four possible Impact Subs for GT: Jayant Yadav, Abhinav Manohar, Sai Sudarshan/KS Bharat, Yash Dayal.

PS: Whoever is participating, don't forget to send your predictions for today's match.

Deadline for toss prediction: 6:59 PM IST

Deadline for rest of the predictions: 7:29 PM IST. 

PS: Whoever is participating, don't forget to send your predictions for today's match.

Deadline for toss prediction: 6:59 PM IST

Deadline for rest of the predictions: 7:29 PM IST. 

Stats that matter

• Rayudu has had the wood over Rashid, scoring 79 runs off 65 balls off him without being dismissed in the IPL.
• Despite having missed the entire IPL 2022, Chahar remains the top wicket-taker in the powerplay in the past five seasons, with 42 strikes in 58 innings at an economy rate of 7.61.
• In the past year, Alzarri Joseph has conceded only 7.51 runs an over at the death in T20s. It is the second-best economy rate among right-arm seamers who have bowled at least 100 balls in that phase. Only Anrich Nortje has fared better than Joseph on this front with an economy rate of 7.39, but Nortje's 16 wickets are two fewer than Joseph's.

PS: Whoever is participating, don't forget to send your predictions for today's match.

Deadline for toss prediction: 6:59 PM IST

Deadline for rest of the predictions: 7:29 PM IST. 

Yayy IPL starts from today so excited for today's game.