Ahmedabad, Mar 31 (UNI) Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted to field in the 2023 IPL opener at Narendra Modi Stadium here on Friday.
"We'll bowl first. It's always good to play here. New start, new season, quite exciting," GT Captain Hardik Pandya said after the toss.
On Dhoni, he said he has been a fan and admirer of the former India captain. "Almost everyone in the country has got motivation from him (Dhoni). Been a fan and admirer of him," he said.
CSK Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed the desire to bowl first, but said the wicket looks good and would not change. "Don't know if there will be dew because it rained last night," he said replying to a pertinent question.
Dhoni said the preparation was good as the team assembled quite early. On impact player format, he said, "It's a luxury to have (an impact player). It becomes slightly easier to make the decision because you can use it at any time. Influence of all-rounders has become slightly less because of the rule.
Teams:
Gujarat Titans (Playing XI):
Wriddhiman Saha (w), Shubman Gill, Kane Williamson, Hardik Pandya (c), Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, Joshua Little, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI):
Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (w/c), Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Rajvardhan Hangargekar.
UNI BDN