GT vs CSK, IPL 2023: Rahul Tewatia smashes FOUR and Gujarat Titans win by 5 wickets

Rahul Tewatia smashes slams the ball straight as an arrow down the ground and didn't even bother running. 

He points his fingers towards the sky and then extends his arms in celebration as the ball raised for a FOUR. 

The Champions are off to a winning start.

What an IPL debut for RS Hangargekar!

The ball falls marginally short and Shankar tries to dig it over the infield.

He gets enough elevation but not the distance, and a back-tracking Santner completes a superb reverse cup. 

Shankar c Santner b RS Hangargekar 27(21) [4s-2 6s-1]

The GT opener went for the big slap across the line again, but Gaikwad, ran in from the boundary ropes and completed a fine pouch.

Shubman Gill c Gaikwad b Tushar Deshpande 63(36) [4s-6 6s-3]

This was a flat delivery and Pandya went for a cross batted sweep. But the ball skided through before to take out his off stump. 

Hardik Pandya b Jadeja 8(11)

It was a length and a very wide ball which Sai Sudharsan went chasing.

He cut and got a faint underedge that carried through to Dhoni. 

Sai Sudharsan c Dhoni b RS Hangargekar 22(17) [4s-3]

Kane Williamson who got injured earlier in the game is replaced by Sai Sudharsan - the impact player.

Hangargekar strikes in his first over! 

Saha tried to hit the ball away from his body and the top edge flew towards square third man. 

But Dube made a good sprint across to his right, and completed a fantastic catch diving to his right. 

Saha c Shivam Dube b RS Hangargekar 25(16) [4s-2 6s-2]

Ambati Rayudu is off and Tushar Desphande is the impact player.

First ever substitutes in cricket:
Super-sub: Vikram Solanki (Headingley, 2005)

Concussion sub: Marnus Labuschagne (Lord’s, 2019)

X-factor (BBL 2020-21): Matthew Short & Mac Wright (Launceston)

Impact sub (SMAT 2022-23): Hritik Shokeen (Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground, Jaipur)

Impact sub (IPL 2023): Tushar Deshpande, today

CSK this innings:
Ruturaj: 92 off 50 (4 X 4s, 9 X 6s)
Rest of batters: 78 off 71 (6 X 4s, 4 X 6s)

Shami strike's and he gets another.

He had conceded a six against a short ball on the last ball, but this time he got Dube with another short one. 

Shivam Dube c Rashid Khan b Shami 19(18) [6s-1]

Mr. 3D Vijay Shankar took a good catch at deep mid-wicket. 

Jadeja gets elevation but not the required distance.

Jadeja c Shankar b Alzarri Joseph 1(2)

Missed by inches!

It was dipping in and Gaikwad was looking to whack that away, but could not get the rope.

Gaikwad c Shubman Gill b Alzarri Joseph 92(50) [4s-4 6s-9]

A slower off-cutter and Rayudu looked he was going to swing it down the ground.

But he was beaten on the edge and it clatters into the stumps. 

Rayudu b Joshua Little 12(12) [6s-1]

Ruturaj Gaikwad smashes 50 in 23 balls.

2nd wicket for Rashid Khan!

Stokes misjudged the length and went back to a leg-break.

He tried punching the ball through cover, but it skid and took a nick to the keeper. 

Stokes c Saha b Rashid Khan 7(6) [4s-1]

After the previous wicket decision getting reversed, Rashid Khan finally gets his man in the same over.

Moeen tried to swing hard and go over extra cover, but the ball edges and goes behind where Saha takes the catch.

Moeen Ali c Saha b Rashid Khan 23(17) [4s-4 6s-1]

100 IPL wickets for Shami! 

He does what is expected of him. Delivers in the early overs and this time he messes the stumps! 

Conway b Shami 1(6)

Gujarat Titans opt to bowl. While Hardik Pandya did not know his player combination, MS Dhoni said they are going with 4 overseas players.

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Rajvardhan Hangargekar

After dancing to her smash hit movie Pushpa songs, Rashmika Mandanna performed to the Oscar winning song Naatu Naatu.

Filmstars Rashmika Mandanna and Tamanna Bhatia now take over.

Mandira Bedi does the opening address at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It's a packed crowd as they groove to singer Arijit Singh's songs. 

Squad: Abhinav Manohar, Shubman Gill, Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya(c), Rahul Tewatia, Matthew Wade(w), Rashid Khan, Shivam Mavi, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, Srikar Bharat, Wriddhiman Saha, Sai Sudharsan, Urvil Patel, Vijay Shankar, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Odean Smith, Jayant Yadav, Joshua Little, Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan

Squad: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Subhranshu Senapati, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Prashant Solanki, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana, Ben Stokes, Sisanda Magala, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma