The IPL 2023 season kicks off this Friday with the opening match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and four-time winners Chennai Super Kings. It will be followed by two double-headers on Saturday and Sunday, and here we shall look at how the matches could unfold and what is their expected outcome.
Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings - 31.03.2023 (Friday)
Gujarat Titans will be the favourites to win this contest as they have the more balanced side overall and have home advantage in their favour as well. The Titans have a formidable bowling unit consisting of the likes of Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, and Alzarri Joseph. Skipper Hardik Pandya is a potent bowling weapon himself and they will give the CSK batters a tough time.
MS Dhoni's CSK are also plagued by injuries and unavailability. Left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary and Kyle Jamieson have been sidelined with injuries, whereas Maheesh Theekshana will be unavailable due to national duty as well. So, they are looking a little light on their bowling stocks right now. While their batting looks potent, it's their bowling that could turn out to be a decisive factor in this contest.
Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders - 01.04.2023 (Saturday)
Even though this is a home game for Punjab, KKR still have a slight edge going into this contest. First of all, Shikhar Dhawan isn't known for his captaincy skills, and some big guns like Jonny Bairstow and Kagiso Rabada are unavailable.
Moreover, KKR have some quality players like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Tim Southee in their ranks. Even with their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer ruled out, KKR will be backing themselves to win this game under Nitish Rana's leadership. Batters like Rinku Singh and N Jagadeesan have been in excellent form in domestic cricket, and they will be looking to carry that form forward into this contest.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals - 01.04.2023 (Saturday)
The Super Giants made it to the playoffs last season and they are expected to go even further this year with an improved squad. LSG have some real superstars in their batting unit like KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis. Their bowling also looks great with talented players like Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan there. Mark Wood will lead their pace bowling unit and he will also be expected to turn up the heat with his searing pace.
The Capitals, on the other hand, will be lining up this season under David Warner's leadership, as Rishabh Pant is sidelined for the entire tournament after a car accident earlier this year. While they still have a potent batting unit, their bowling would lack sting in this contest in the absence of Anrich Nortje, who is expected to be busy with national duties. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will be the two spinners and they will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility. Patel, in particular, has a big role to play as a batter in Pant's absence. But, overall, Lucknow looks like the stronger side going into this contest.
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals - 02.04.2023 (Sunday)
Sunrisers Hyderabad have the strongest squad on paper, but they will have some major absentees like Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, and Marco Jansen in this contest as they will be busy with national duties. So, that gives the Rajasthan Royals a massive edge going into this match, as most of their first-team players will be available.
The Royals have assembled quite a star-studded batting unit with the likes of Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer in it. Skipper Sanju Samson has also developed a cult following in India, whereas Yashasvi Jaiswal is rising up the ranks quickly as well. On the bowling front, Trent Boult will lead their pace attack, with Jason Holder and Kuldeep Sen operating alongside him. R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal's presence also adds a lot of experience to their spin attack, and that makes them the favourites to win this game.
Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians - 02.04.2023 (Sunday)
With this match set to be in Bangalore, RCB can really bank on their batting unit to ace this game for them. They will miss their star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, as he will be busy on national duty, and that makes their spin bowling unit seriously weak. But the good nature of the Chinnaswamy track and the small boundaries make spinners less effective, and Mumbai don't have the best spin attacks either. So, the outcome of this match will depend on which team bats better.
RCB have in-form players like Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell in their ranks. On top of that, they have a finisher like Dinesh Karthik as well. Although Rajat Patidar's absence will be felt, Manipal Lomror and Shahbaz Ahmed have the ability to perform effectively. Mumbai, on the other hand, will rely heavily on their batting unit, and their pace-bowling ace Jofra Archer. Other than him, the bowling seriously lacks experienced names, and that could turn out to betheir bane in this match.