GT vs CSK Highlights Match 1 - IPL 2023 Season 16: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan star in Gujarat's win

Gujarat Titans continued their unbeaten run against Chennai Super Kings intact with an emphatic 5-wicket win in the opening match of the IPL 2023 and started the new season on a dominant note at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

The defending champions, who are being led by Hardik Pandya, had a perfect start to the season as they registered their third straight win against the Yellow Brigade in front of a stadium packed to its capacity.

Shubman Gill shines, again

Chasing a target of 179, Gujarat Titans reached home in 19.2 overs with four balls to spare and two wickets in hand. Shubman Gill - who is going through a form of his life in 2023 - started the proceedings with a sublime half-century.

The talented right-handed batter threw his wicket away at a crucial juncture in the game but it was his imperious effort that laid the foundation for GT in the run chase against a vitriolic CSK side.

He was dismissed for 63 off 36 balls while trying to hit Tushar Deshpande for his fourth six of the innings, the Punjab cricketer was caught by Mitchell Santner in the deep. He did leave his team in the lurch instead of finishing the game but it was a batting display from Gill - who is taking big strides in world cricket.

Rashid Khan continues to be CSK's nemesis

Afghanistan captain and Hardik's deputy in the side, Rashid Khan once again showcased his brilliance with the ball first up as he picked up crucial wickets. Senior India seamer Mohammed Shami and West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph picked up two wickets each as GT bowlers prevented CSK from posting a total beyond their reach.

Rashid - who has a long history of doing well against CSK in the IPL - once again brought his A-game in all the departments. The leg-spinner first got the big wickets of Moeen Ali (23) and Ben Stokes (7) and put a brake on the flow of runs for the Yellow Brigade in the middle overs.

And later on, the Afghanistan superstar scored valuable runs in the 19th over by hitting Deepak Chahar for a maximum and a boundary off consecutive deliveries to bring his team within touching distance. Had Rashid not smashed those crucial 10 runs off 3 balls, the game could have gone in CSK's favour too.

For his match-winning effort with the ball and his impressive cameo with the bat, Rashid was adjudged the player of the match. The vice-captain of the side, thus, added yet another award to his cabinet.

Debutant Rajvardhan Hangargekar impresses

The India U-19 cricketer was handed his IPL debut cap in the absence of pacer Mukesh Choudhary - who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. The young speed merchant from Maharashtra left a mark in his first game on the big stage and impressed all.

The right-arm pacer picked up three wickets on his debut and conceded 36 runs from his entire quota of four overs. He even received a word of praise from the skipper, which is something that will do him a world of good in the upcoming matches.

Gaikwad - a name of consistency

The Maharashtra cricketer also carried his good form with the bat from the domestic circuit to the IPL season. The right-handed put up an exhibition of shots with his batting performance as he slammed a 23-ball 50.

The talented CSK opener could have easily converted it into a well-deserved century but a rash shot against a low full-toss from Joseph proved to be his peril. He was eventually dismissed for 92 off 50 balls, with 9 sixes and 4 boundaries. That also meant CSK were 15-20 runs short in the end.

Despite a stupendous knock from Gaikwad, CSK could only muster 178 for 7 in 20 overs after they were put in to bat first. Santner (0/32) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/28) did well with the ball but they didn't get the desired support from other fast bowlers.