GT vs CSK: Key matchups ft. Hardik Pandya vs Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson vs Moeen Ali

Both
the
teams
are
studded
with
world-class
cricketers
and
the
anticipated
contest
between
them
will
certainly
light
up
the
largest
stadium
in
the
world.
The
contest
within
the
contest
is
set
to
give
a
rollicking
start
to
the
sixteenth
edition
of
the
IPL.

Without
wasting
any
time,
let’s
have
a
look
at
a
few
of
the
matchups
on
offer
in
Match
1
of
IPL
2023
between
Gujarat
and
Chennai.

Gujarat
Titans
(GT)
vs
Chennai
Super
Kings
(CSK)
key
matchups

Hardik
Pandya
vs
Ben
Stokes:
Gujarat
Titans
captain
Hardik
Pandya
and
Chennai
Super
Kings’
(CSK)
new
acquisition
Ben
Stokes
have
come
face
to
face
thrice
in
the
IPL.
Of
the
eleven
balls
Hardik
has
face
from
the
England
all-rounder,
he
has
managed
to
score
only
runs.

The
hard-hitting
batter
has
played
three
dots
and
managed
to
score
only
one
boundary
against
the
pacer.
Stokes
has
also
managed
to
get
the
wicket
of
the
former
MumbaiI
Indians
all-rounder
once.
The
matchup
between
the
two
gun-allrounders
will
be
riveting
to
watch.

MS
Dhoni
vs
Mohammed
Shami:
The
legendary
CSK
captain
MS
Dhoni
will
be
in
action
after
a
one
year
and
a
mouth-watering
contest
between
Gujarat
pacer
Mohammed
Shami
and
him
is
on
the
cards.
The
two
have
faced
each
other
in
the
IPL
on
five
occasions.

Dhoni
has
scored
36
runs
off
20
balls
from
Shami
who
has
managed
to
bowl
only
four
dots
against
his
former
India
captain.
Two
fours
and
as
many
sixes
have
come
off
Dhoni’s
blade
taking
his
strike
rate
against
the
pacer
to
180.

However,
Dhoni
has
got
rusty
over
the
years,
especially
after
his
retirement
from
international
cricket.
IPL
is
the
only
time
he
plays
cricket
and
it
would
be
interesting
to
see
how
the
41-year-old
thwarts
the
threat
from
Shami
who
is
in
his
prime.

Kane
Williamson
vs
Moeen
Ali:
Former
Sunrisers
Hyderabad
(SRH)
captain
Kane
Williamson
turning
up
for
Hardik-led
Gujarat
will
be
an
event
to
watch
out
for.
One
more
thing
to
watch
out
for
will
be
his
contest
against
CSK’s
England
all-rounder
Moeen
Ali.
The
left-arm
spinner
has
been
at
the
receiving
end
over
the
years.

The
two
star
cricketers
have
clashed
against
each
other
four
times
in
the
IPL.
The
left-arm
spinner
has
bowled
a
total
of
21
deliveries
to
get
hit
for
33
runs
by
the
New
Zealand
star.
With
two
fours
and
two
sixes,
Williamson
has
a
strike
rate
of
157.1
against
Moeen.

Ruturaj
Gaikwad
vs
Rashid
Khan:
It’s
a
blockbuster
contest
between
Gaikwad
and
Rashid
when
they
lock
horns
against
each
other
in
the
IPL
2023.
The
statistics
will
tell
you
why.
The
CSK
opener
has
a
strike
rate
of
151.4
and
an
average
of
26.5
against
the
former
SRH
leg-spinner.

But,
there
is
a
twist
to
it.
Gaikwad
has
faced
35
balls
from
Rashid
to
score
53
runs
including
six
fours
and
a
six.
However,
the
Afghanistan
star
dismissed
him
twice
and
also
managed
to
bowl
seven
dots
against
the
right-hander.
Another
glorious
chapter
is
expected
to
be
added
to
this
rivalry.