Reigning champions Gujarat Titans launch IPL with win over Chennai Super Kings

Titans came away from the win with worries over Kane Williamson, who suffered a knee injury in the field and was unable to bat

Ahmedabad: Chennai Super Kings 178-7, Gujarat Titans 182-5 - Gujarat Titans win by five wickets

Reigning IPL champions Gujarat Titans began their title retention quest with a win over Chennai Super Kings but were left to sweat over the fitness of Kane Williamson.

Williamson, collapsed in a heap holding his knee after landing awkwardly as he attempted to pull off a relay catch on the square leg boundary.

He had to be helped back to the dugout and took no further part in a game that was won for Titans by the composure of Shubman Gill (63), whose half century was the centrepiece of Gujarat's chase after they had won the toss and opted to field in Ahmedabad, where an extravagant mid-match light show brought in the new season, before a Rashid Khan cameo got Titans over the line, with help from Rahul Tewatia.

Ben Stokes, playing solely as a batter on his Super Kings debut, hit one straight boundary off Rashid Khan before under-edging a cut next ball to be well caught by Wriddhiman Saha, who also caught Moeen Ali (23) off the same bowler.

Chennai's total was indebted to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who hit nine sixes – five fewer than he managed in the entirety of last year's tournament – in his 50-ball 92 that guided CSK to a final total of 178 for 7.

^{Ben Stokes made his CSK debut (Image: IPL)}

Unsurprisingly, Rashid was the pick of Gujarat's bowlers, though there were also two wickets apiece for Mohammed Shami and Alzarri Joseph. Josh Little, who became the first active Ireland international to play in the IPL, was carted in his first over by Gaikwad and Moeen but recovered to knock over Ambati Rayudu for his first wicket in the competition.

MS Dhoni, still going at 41, took on Little's final over and ended unbeaten on 14 from seven balls.

Chennai's ill-discipline harmed them in reply, with a pair of early free hits conceded, while Tushar Deshpande – the first-ever Impact Player, replacing Rayudu ahead of CSK's fielding effort – was expensive from the off and was hit for the winning runs in the final over.

Gill and Saha climbed in early on, only for Saha (25) to offer a catch to Shivam Dube and Sai Sudharshan – on as an Impact Player for Williamson – to edge a longhop from Rajvardhan Hangargekar to Dhoni.

Hardik Pandya, batting at No.4, didn't get going and missed a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja, before Gill holed out to offer Chennai a way back into the season opener.

But Rashid and Tewatia put the finishing touches to a convincing win after Vijay Shankar had added impetus with 27 off 21 balls in the middle overs as the reigning champions began as they finished 2022.

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