The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off its sixteenth edition in Ahmedabad, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Gujarat Titans in the opening match. While the two teams had contrasting fortunes in the previous season, they will be looking to start fresh and perform to the best of their abilities.

CSK, after a disappointing campaign last year, will be led by the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni in yellow. The team looks strong this year with the inclusion of some promising players. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans will be looking to defend their title and prove that their success in the previous season was not a fluke.

One of the strengths of Gujarat Titans is their solid bowling unit, which includes wicket-taking bowlers like Alzarri Joseph and Mohammed Shami. Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, will also be a key player for them.

CSK’s likely playing XI includes Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway as openers, followed by Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and captain MS Dhoni in the top and middle order. The team also boasts talented all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Dwaine Pretorius, along with pacers Deepak Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, and Tushar Deshpande.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans are likely to field Shubhman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha as openers, with Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, and Mathew Wade in the top and middle order. Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan will be the key all-rounders for the team, while pacers Mohammed Shami, Alzarri Joseph/Josh Little, and Shivam Mavi/Yash Dayal will lead the bowling attack.

Overall, the opening match of the IPL promises to be an exciting affair, with both teams eager to start the tournament on a high note.

Gujarat Titans 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 and Pradeep Sangwan.

Chennai Super Kings squad: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwaine Pretorius, Deepak Chahar, Simarjeet Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Mitchell Santner, Bhagath Varma, Tushar Deshpande, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki and Akash Singh