Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings IPL 2023 Recap

Indian Premier LeagueResult

Gujarat Titans

182/5

Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad · Friday, 31 March 2023

Gujarat Titans won by 5 wicketsPlayer of the match: Rashid Khan

Match preview

Gujarat Titans chase down CSK with a blistering powerplay at Ahmedabad

Match overview

Gujarat Titans beat Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on 31 March 2023. Chasing 179, Gujarat Titans' openers laid the foundations immediately, posting 65 runs in the powerplay for the loss of just 1 wicket. Chennai Super Kings had set a competitive-looking 178/7, but at a ground where the average first-innings score across 95 T20 matches is 206, it left the target somewhat below par. Rashid Khan was named Player of the Match, his influence in the middle overs proving decisive. Gujarat Titans finished on 182/5, reaching the target with wickets to spare.

For Chennai Super Kings, the innings told a familiar story of a solid powerplay that didn't fully accelerate. They scored 51 runs in the first six overs before adding 82 in the middle phase, but the death overs produced only 45 runs for 3 wickets. That sequence left them well short of what this pitch can yield.

Venue and conditions

Narendra Modi Stadium is among the largest and most demanding T20 venues in world cricket. Its average first-innings score of 206 across 95 matches sets a high bar, and the average second-innings score of 196 confirms that totals regularly hold up under pressure. The powerplay average here is 43 runs, making Gujarat Titans' 65-run opening phase a significant advantage. Death-overs batting averages 38 runs at this ground, so Chennai Super Kings' 45 in that phase was modestly above trend, even if it wasn't enough.

Teams winning the toss at this ground choose to field 60% of the time, and the chase success rate of 53% suggests a modest but real advantage for sides batting second. Gujarat Titans read those conditions correctly. Dew in evening matches at large Indian grounds can affect grip for spinners in the second innings, which may have further influenced the toss decision.

How to watch

IPL fixtures are broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Cricket. Matches are typically scheduled for a 15:30 or 19:30 IST start, which translates to late-morning or early-afternoon UK time depending on the time of year. Sky subscribers can stream via Sky Go, and non-subscribers can access coverage through a NOW TV day pass. For fans following the tournament across the full schedule, Sky Sports' IPL hub carries live and on-demand replays of every match.

Recent form

The form guide heading into this fixture favoured Gujarat Titans. In their final five 2022 IPL matches, GT won four times, including victories over Rajasthan Royals (twice), Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants. Their only defeat in that run came against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chennai Super Kings, by contrast, ended the 2022 season in poor shape, losing four of their final five matches. Victories over Delhi Capitals provided some consolation, but defeats against Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore pointed to structural issues going into 2023. That form context made Gujarat Titans' confident powerplay performance here less of a surprise than it might otherwise have seemed.

Talking points

What to look out for

5 angles

Headline angle

GT's powerplay decided the match

Gujarat Titans raced to 65 runs in their powerplay while losing only 1 wicket, comfortably above the venue's average of 43. That platform effectively took the contest away from Chennai Super Kings before the middle overs began.

Angle 02

CSK's 178/7 was below the venue average

The Narendra Modi Stadium averages 206 in the first innings across 95 T20 matches. Chennai Super Kings fell 28 runs short of that benchmark despite scoring 51 in the powerplay, suggesting the middle overs (82 runs for 2 wickets) did not convert early momentum into a match-winning total.

Angle 03

Rashid Khan named Player of the Match

Rashid Khan's impact was sufficient to earn him the Player of the Match award. His ability to strangle the middle overs is a consistent feature of Gujarat Titans' plans, and here it helped keep Chennai Super Kings' scoring rate in check.

Angle 04

Toss advantage played out by the numbers

Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to field, a decision backed by a 60% toss-field rate at this ground. The venue's chase success rate of 53% across 95 matches gave them historical reason to back themselves batting second.

Angle 05

Head-to-head remains level at four wins apiece

Across 8 meetings, Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans have won exactly four each. This result levelled a rivalry that had briefly tilted CSK's way after their 5-wicket win at the same ground earlier in 2023.

Context

Key insights

Historical · Not official

Venue par

206

Avg 1st innings score at Motera

95 matches · 2004–2026

Chase success

53%

Chases completed successfully at Motera

95 matches · 2004–2026

Head to head

4 — 4

Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans — 8 meetings

2022–2025

Chennai Super Kings at venue

33%

Win rate across 6 matches at Motera

Gujarat Titans at venue

54%

Win rate across 24 matches at Motera

Powerplay

45/1.3

Average runs/wickets in overs 1–6 at Motera

Historical aggregates derived from Cricsheet (cricsheet.org) under ODC-BY licence. 2001/02–2026 IPL seasons. For editorial context only — not official live match data, not a forecast, and not betting advice. Projections and comparisons above are frozen from the live state and may not match final statistics.

The rivalry

Who could decide it

Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans have met 8 times in total, with both sides winning exactly 4 matches apiece and no no-results. The fixture has been consistently tight, with margins ranging from 5 wickets to 83 runs across a mix of venues including Narendra Modi Stadium and Chepauk.

Recent meetings

Last 5

2025: Chennai Super Kings won by 83 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium
2024: Gujarat Titans won by 35 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium
2024: Chennai Super Kings won by 63 runs at Chepauk
2023: Chennai Super Kings won by 5 wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium
2023: Chennai Super Kings won by 15 runs at Chepauk

Key player · Gujarat Titans

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan was awarded Player of the Match, underlining his influence on this fixture. His capacity to restrict batters through the middle overs is a core part of how Gujarat Titans construct victories in T20 cricket.

Chennai Super Kings

R Ashwin

R Ashwin's ability to build pressure in the middle overs was a factor for Chennai Super Kings in this period. His figures of 8/94 from 42.7 overs in a Test context illustrate his capacity to sustain pressure across extended spells, a quality that translates to tight T20 phases.

Career stats →

Angles to watch

Analytical angles worth tracking

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

At a venue where the average first-innings score is 206, totals below that benchmark may be worth considering in top batter and total runs markets.
Gujarat Titans' powerplay scoring rate of 65 runs for 1 wicket exceeded the venue average of 43 by some distance; powerplay runs lines could offer relevant context in future fixtures here.
The toss-field rate of 60% at Narendra Modi Stadium is high; toss-related markets may reflect conditions more closely than outright result lines.
With the head-to-head split at exactly 4-4 across 8 meetings, match result markets are unlikely to offer a strong historical lean either way for this rivalry.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Questions

Frequently asked

Gujarat Titans won by 5 wickets at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 31 March 2023. They chased down Chennai Super Kings' total of 178/7, finishing on 182/5.

Rashid Khan was named Player of the Match. His contribution with the ball in the middle overs helped contain Chennai Super Kings and set up Gujarat Titans' chase.

Across 8 T20 meetings, both teams have won 4 matches each with no no-results. Their most recent meeting in 2025 saw Chennai Super Kings win by 83 runs.

IPL matches are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Subscribers can also stream via Sky Go or take out a day pass through NOW TV.

Across 95 T20 matches at Narendra Modi Stadium, the average first-innings score is 206. Chennai Super Kings' total of 178/7 in this match fell 28 runs short of that benchmark.

Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to field first, in line with the ground's historical 60% toss-field rate. The venue's chase success rate of 53% across 95 matches also favoured the decision, and GT won the match batting second.

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