GT vs CSK, IPL 2023: Hardik Pandya vs MS Dhoni as the tournament starts with blockbuster contest

Ahmedabad: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 could not have asked for a better start to the tournament. Defending champions Gujarat Titans take on four-time winners Chennai Super Kings at the world’s biggest Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Topping the bill is the contest between mentor MS Dhoni and mentee Hardik Pandya.

Considered one of the best white-ball captains of all time, Dhoni has won three ICC trophies with India and four IPL titles with CSK. Pandya in that respect has a long way to go, but by leading GT to the IPL crown in their debut season in 2022, the Gujarat all-rounder has already shown that captaincy comes naturally to him. A quality that has put him first in the race to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s captain in white-ball formats when the time comes.

GT vs CSK: Live streaming and head-to-head record

There’s one factor though that could dampen this contest. Dhoni didn’t bat at the nets on Thursday owing to a knee injury he had sustained during a training session in Chennai, raising doubts over his participation in the tournament opener.

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