The Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) action will get underway on March 31 with the opening match between reigning champions Gujarat Titans’ and the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. A total of 74 matches will be played across 12 venues over the course of almost two months.
IPL 2023 will have 18 doubleheaders, with the afternoon games starting at 3:30 PM IST and the evening games starting at 07:30 PM IST. The home and away format is back this year – each team will play 7 home games and 7 away games in the league stage.
Table of contents
IPL 2023: Players to watch out for
Chennai Super Kings
- Ravindra Jadeja
The all-rounder was in excellent form in the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy, where he took 22 wickets and scored 135 runs at an average of 27.00. Jadeja was not his best in the last season of the IPL, and will be looking to make a strong comeback this year. He brings with him plenty of experience.
- Ben Stokes
Another all-rounder to watch out for is Ben Stokes, who was acquired at the auction for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore. An explosive batsman and a skilful bowler, Stokes has delivered quite a few match-winning performances in the IPL in the past.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli’s return to form across formats in the past few months has once again led to high expectations from him in the IPL. Last IPL, Kohli scored 341 runs in 16 matches at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.99. This year, expectations will be much higher from him.
- Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik’s impressive performances in the last IPL earned him a place in the T20 World Cup squad, but he was not able to make the most of the opportunity. The wicketkeeper batsman batted at a strike rate of 183.33 in 2022, and the same will be expected from him this season, in the role of a finisher.
Mumbai Indians
- Suryakumar Yadav
One of the best batsmen in T20 international cricket, Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be the MVP for Mumbai Indians. He’s been one of the most consistent performers in the IPL all these years, and also in international T20 cricket over the last one year.
- Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is the all-time highest run-scorer for the Mumbai Indians, and has also led the team to a record five IPL titles. Expectations will be high from both the batsman and captain Rohit.
Kolkata Knight Riders
- Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur, who was acquired by KKR from Delhi Capitals in the trading window, will spearhead KKR’s bowling department this season. The 31-year-old took 15 wickets for the Capitals in 14 games at an economy of 9.79 last year.
- Andre Russell
The all-rounder has been KKR’s MVP for more than a decade. The flamboyant batsman has won the team plenty of matches with both his batting and bowling. In 98 IPL games, Russell has a batting strike rate of almost 178, along with 89 wickets.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips was one of New Zealand’s best performers at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he scored 201 runs at a strike rate of 158.26, Although he hasn’t had much success in the IPL, Phillips has been a consistent performer in T20 internationals, with over 1300 runs from 59 matches at a strike rate of over 144.
- Harry Brook
Harry Brook has played some excellent knocks for England over the last few months. Most recently, he played a crucial role in England’s Test series win in Pakistan, scoring 468 runs in five innings. In T20 international cricket, he has an average and strike rate of 26.57 and 137.77.
Gujarat Titans
- Hardik Pandya
The Titans won IPL 2023 under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, currently one of the best in the business. Talking about his recent performances in big tournaments, Pandya scored 63 in 33 balls at a strike rate of 190.91 against England in the T20 World Cup semi-final, and took three wickets against Pakistan in the same tournament.
- Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has been sensational across formats over the last few months, and will be one of Gujarat’s key players this season. The young batsman has 202 runs from six T20 internationals at a strike rate of 165.57, including his best knock of 126* against New Zealand.
Lucknow Super Giants
- Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis is a proven match winner in the game’s shortest format. In LSG’s debut season, Stoinis scored 156 runs from 11 games at a strike rate of 147.16. A fearless hitter of the ball, Stoinis is a crowd puller in T20 cricket.
- Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock was the second-leading run-scorer for LSG in the last edition, with 508 runs from 15 matches at a strike rate of 148.97. Recently at the SA20, de Kock scored 271 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 151.39.
Delhi Capitals
- Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw delivered the goods in IPL 2022, scoring 283 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of over 152, and similar numbers will be expected from him this season, especially after his good form in the Ranji Trophy 2022-23.
- David Warner
David Warner will open with Prithvi Shaw, and will be at the helm of the team in absence of injured Rishabh Pant. Warner has been one of the best in the IPL business over the years, and brings plenty of experience to the table.
Punjab Kings
- Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan is the all-time second-highest run-scorer in the IPL with 6086 runs at a strike rate of almost 127. Dhawan has not played any form of international cricket since December 2022, and will be looking to make a mark in IPL 2023.
- Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh was impressive in the T20I series against New Zealand in February, in which he picked up four wickets in two games. The young bowler has swiftly risen through the ranks, and will be one of Punjab’s frontline bowlers this IPL.
Rajasthan Royals
- Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler won the Orange Cap in IPL 2022. In 17 games, he scored 863 runs at an average of 57.53, including four centuries and as many half-centuries.
- Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal was the top wicket-taker in IPL 2023 with 27 wickets in 17 games. He’s been one of the most consistent bowlers in the IPL over the last few years and a lot will be expected from him this season.
KEY MATCHES in IPL 2023
Some of the below are the key matches in IPL 2023
Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, March 31, 7.30 PM – this game will be the curtain raiser for the tournament.
Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, April 8, 7.30 PM – the craze is always high for what is known as the EL Clasico of the IPL.
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