GT vs CSK IPL 2023 Stats Review: Rashid Khan's heroics, Gujarat Titans' feat and other stats

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s brilliant 92-run-knock went in vain, as all-round Gujarat Titans continued their dominance over CSK to seal a five-wicket win in the opener of the Indian Premier League 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, March 31.

Speaking about the first game, after being put into bat first, CSK lost Devon Conway in the third over as Mohammed Shami cleaned him up from around the wicket. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Moeen Ali kept the scoreboard ticking by taking full advantage of the powerplay, the duo added 36 runs in a space of 21 balls.

However, Rashid Khan ended Moeen Ali’s little cameo with his intelligent bowling at the close of the powerplay. Ben Stokes wasn’t impressive in his first game as he was undone by a beauty from Rashid Khan. 

Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, but Gaikwad kept going as he toyed with the bowling attack around the ground. Gaikwad meanwhile, notched up his 11^th IPL fifty, Gaikwad amassed 92 runs that included four fours and nine maximums to help CSK post a good total of 178/7 in 20 overs.

In response to 178,  Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill went berserk in the chase as they smacked CSK bowlers for fun, scoring 37 runs in 3.4 overs. Debutant, Rajvardhan Hangargekar drew first blood for CSK as he picked up the wicket of Saha, and eventually broke the opening partnership. Soon after, Sai Sudharshan joined hands with Gill, as the duo together added 53 runs for the second wicket.

When the partnership started to threaten CSK, it was the debutant Hangargekar who bagged the wicket of Sai Sudharsan.

Gill, however, didn't stop, as he notched up his 15^th IPL fifty. When the chase looked well-paced for Titans, it was Tushar Deshpande, who took the wicket of a well-set Gill. GT were in need of 23 runs in the last two overs, it was the duo of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan who delivered at the right time to take them over the line with four balls remaining. 

Meanwhile, let us look at the stats and numbers from the first game of the IPL 2023 between GT and CSK:

19 - Mohammed Shami completes 100 wickets in IPL, becoming the 19^th bowler to achieve the feat.

3 - Ruturaj Gaikwad (11) now has the third-most fifty-plus scores by an opener for CSK. Faf du Plessis tops the list with 16 followed by Michael Hussey (13).

92 - Ruturaj Gaikwad (92) has the highest score against GT in IPL, bettering the previous best of 89 by Jos Buttler in 2022.

182 - GT recorded the highest run-chase in T20s at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The previous best was 167 by Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings in 2021.

200 - MS Dhoni completes 200 sixes for CSK and became the fifth player to score 200 sixes or more for an IPL Team.

3 - GT have defeated CSK for the third consecutive time in the IPL.

2 - Gujarat Titans became the second team along with Rajasthan Royals to beat CSK in their first three matches.

1 - Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first CSK player to score three consecutive fifties against GT in the IPL.

2 - Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed nine sixes against GT in the IPL 2023 opener, which is the joint-second most number of sixes by a CSK player in an IPL innings along with Michael Hussey, Robin Uthappa, and Brendon McCullum. Murali Vijay tops the list with 11 sixes.