On March 31st at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, CSK and Gujarat Titans will face off for the inaugural match of IPL 2023. Overall there will be 74 league and playoff matches played over eight weeks during IPL 2023.
BCR vs. CSK
Chinnaswamy stadium was transformed into an ocean of yellow as thousands descended for this one-off Indian Premier League match between RCB and Faf du Plessis' team, Rajasthan Capitals (RCB). Faf du Plessis won the toss and chose to bowl first, electing for them to beat first in his toss decision.
Home side had an inauspicious start with Ruturaj Gaikwad falling lbw to Mohammed Siraj in the third over. Ajinkya Rahane then displayed outstanding skill when diving at the boundary and pushing Jadeja over it with such force that it led him back onto his back! A truly magnificent act from an experienced veteran!
Glenn Maxwell scored 76 off 36 balls and shared in a 126-run partnership with du Plessis that propelled RCB to 227/5 but both batsmen were dismissed quickly after. Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik failed to provide big hits as momentum was lost as they reached 159/4 by 14th over.
CSK have had their hopes dashed this season; however, they could rematch in either playoffs or perhaps even the final. Under IPL format rules, ten teams are divided into two groups of five with each playing the other four twice and remaining two once; winning teams receive two points while losers only one. Previously each win earned three points to each side.
SRH vs. KKR
On Thursday, May 4th at 8.45 am SRH and KKR will lock horns in their 47th match of IPL 2018. Both teams currently boast 3-3 records for this edition of the tournament.
Both sides have met 24 times in IPL history and boast an even 15-9 record against each other. Both teams are in contention for playoff spots and a place in the IPL Grand Final, with KKR on the verge of their fifth consecutive win and sitting eighth on the points table while SRH are struggling to regain momentum after dropping six matches out of nine so far this tournament.
After losing Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has struggled to produce big totals. Top-order batsmen have failed to ignite and performed unremarkably; leading to their overall performance deteriorating further. Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram have shown flashes of form;
MI vs. PBKS
Rohit Sharma and MI will look to reverse their last game's disappointing result against PBKS at Wankhede Stadium by defeating them. Both teams share similar records when it comes to head-to-head meetings so it should be an exciting encounter!
Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium offers both batsman- and spinner-friendly conditions during an exciting match at this ground, where both teams have proven successful at scoring runs at high rates. Expect an entertaining contest!
PBKS will be without their regular captain Shikhar Dhawan due to an injury, but Preity Zinta-owned team has an outstanding roster of players who can step in and provide for him; such as Sam Curran, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Jofra Archer Suryakumar Yadav Tim David among many more.
PBKS made an impressive start in their first innings with both Jitesh Sharma and Harpreet Singh impressing early. While Singh provided some entertainment with his impressive sixes and fours, Sharma displayed both elegance and power by lofting one straight down the ground for six and then cleverly smashing it over fine leg for fours to take them to 54/1 by the end of powerplay.
DD vs. SRH
In the second match of the night, defending champions Delhi Capitals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad; both teams have struggled this season and are trying to avoid relegation.
This game will take place at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow and LSG will be led by Indian batsman KL Rahul while South African Aiden Markram will lead SRH.
Both teams have lost five consecutive matches and need a win here to remain in contention for playoff contention. If they lose, one team will be eliminated from competition while the winner will move up one spot in their group for playoff consideration.
SRH have much to prove in this match and are hoping to turn around their underwhelming run in the tournament. Kaviya Maran owns this squad featuring Harry Brook, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Heinrich Klaasen and Adil Rashid - but their batting has struggled so far this season with Prithvi Shaw particularly underperforming thus far and looking for ways to turn things around during this clash.
