GT vs CSK 1st Match Prediction

Betting Tips

GT vs CSK Match Prediction

Chennai Super Kings To Win the Match, 2.02

IPL 2023 is finally here and the opening match will be GT vs CSK. It is tradition for the defending champion to play the first match and it is kind of poetic that the current IPL champion will be playing against the most successful team in IPL history. 

There are some important changes in both teams for the new IPL season which will impact their playing elevens. Parimatch has both teams at almost identical odds while Betway has CSK as the slight underdogs. Let us have a closer look. 

Match prediction and cricket betting tips for Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on the 31st of March 2023. 

GT vs CSK Team Previews

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have retained the core of their squad and actually look a bit stronger in comparison to last season. Not only is Shubman Gill in the form of his life but Mohammad Shami has also transformed into one of the most reliable white-ball bowlers in the world. 

With Hardik Pandya fit and likely to play a big role with both bat and ball, the balance of the Gujarat Titans team is quite good. One big absentee for the opening match against CSK will be David Miller. He scored 481 runs last season, had the highest batting average, and smashed the most sixes (23) for GT. We think Kane Williamson will end up being his replacement but that is not really a like-for-like role. 

The GT batting lineup is quite dependent on Gill and Pandya. If both of them get out cheaply, we could see them struggle. Wriddhiman Saha scored 317 runs in the previous season and is likely to be a top-order batter but we don't rate him highly at all. 

Matthew Wade, B Sai Sudharan, and Abhinav Manohar could be the other batters that find a place in the playing eleven for the first match. 

Rashid Khan, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami, Alzarri Joseph, and Yash Dayal could round out the bowling lineups. You can bank on Rashid Khan's four overs to go for something around 25/1 which helps create pressure for the other bowlers as well. 

The core of the GT side is the same and in fact, they seem to have just added to their strengths. The lack of a top-quality batter as a backup for David Miller is the only real weakness.

Gujarat Titans Expected Playing 11

Chennai Super Kings

CSK made the massive move to add Ben Stokes to their lineup for the season. He has publicly stated that he is going to play as an all-rounder, which will add a lot of flexibility to the team. He will be a straight replacement for Dwayne Bravo, who is no longer part of the IPL. 

Also, Robin Uthapppa has retired and will likely be replaced by Ajinka Rahane in the lineup. 

We are not sure why CSK bought Ajinka Rahane (not a natural modern T20 player) but it looks like he will have to play at three or four in the lineup. Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayadu, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni are likely to be the top order for CSK. They could also play an extra hard-hitting all-rounder like Shivam Dube since Mukesh Chaudhary is unfit and unavailable for selection. 

This is a dynamic batting order with many lefties who can easily clear the boundaries. The bigger question is going to be about their bowling lineup.

Deepak Chahar is fully fit and will be back as the powerplay enforcer. He has an overall dot ball percentage of 52 in the powerplay and has also taken 43 wickets at a strike rate of 23,7 during this period. These early wickets have a big impact on the match's outcome. His availability is a big boost to CSK's chances. 

Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, and Ben Stokes give CSK plenty of bowling options with either Shivam Dube/ Rajvardhan Hangarkekar/ Tushar Deshpande as the final piece of the bowling unit. 

We like this CSK team a lot and expect it to do well in IPL 2023.

Chennai Super Kings Expected Playing 11

GT vs CSK Toss Prediction

The team that wins the toss is likely to want to field first. That is not a big advantage, though. Overall, 52.6% of the matches have been won by the team chasing at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Pitch and Conditions

There is no rain forecast for GT vs CSK IPL 2023. The temperatures should be 28-30 degrees celsius with mild humidity. 

The pitch at Ahmedabad can be quite versatile. We have seen high-scoring matches on bouncy tracks and 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. 

GT vs CSK Betting Tips

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 (who was 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. 

Bet on CSK to win.