It's that time of the year again. It's the IPL knocking at our doors. The first match between the Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 31 and with it the biggest cricketing league in the world will get underway.
It will also be a time for fantasy cricket lovers to pull up their socks ahead of what will be an action-packed T20 tournament spread over two months. Users will get to participate in a variety of contests with a lot of platforms offering lucrative prize money and others giving away fancy gift items to the winners.
In case, you are wondering whom to pick and whom to leave for the first match of the competition between Hardik Pandya's Gujarat and MS Dhoni-led Chennai, don't worry, we have your back.
GT vs CSK Fantasy Team
Wicketkeepers:
Wicketkeepers, by virtue of bringing more than one skill into Fantasy Cricket, become very important. Avoid picking MS Dhoni in the team simply because he might come to bat lower down the order, thus giving the user less chances of fetching points. Devon Conway, who has been listed as a keeper in some platforms can be a great pick as he could also bat in the top-order. From Gujarat, Matthew Wade could be be the preferred stumper in the Playing XI.
Batters:
Among the batters, prefer those who can get to bat maximum number of deliveries. Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, in this sense, become crucial members of the side. Given the form that David Miller has shown, he could be a difficult batter not to choose. Ambati Rayudu can also be trusted but hasn't played a lot of cricket heading into the IPL, having last played a T20 match in November 2022.
All-rounders:
Even though reports have claimed that Ben Stokes will only be available as a batter in the initial stage of the tournament, one can pick him to begin with along with Ravindra Jadeja. Moeen Ali is another Chennai all-rounder who should definitely be considered given he will bat somewhere in the top-order and can be a handy with the ball. From Gujarat, Hardik Pandya will be hard to bet against. Make no mistake, he has even taken the new ball as a captain of the franchise and promoted himself up the batting order.
Bowlers:
Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan could be the preferred bowling options with Shami and Chahar very well capable of making an impact with the bat, should their turn come in the match.
Pro Tip: Finalise the Fantasy XI only after the toss and Playing XIs are announced as there could be surprise in store with regards to the team news.
Fantasy 11 for IPL 2023- GT vs CSK (Low Risk XI For Grand League)
Matthew Wade, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, David Miller, Hardik Pandya (captain), Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali (vice-captain), Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan
Disclaimer: Fantasy sports game may be habit-forming or financially risky. Play responsibly. The information contained herein is merely based on parameters including but not limited to players’ past performance & records, players’ fitness & availability, ground conditions, weather conditions, etc. An individual intending to participate in any such fantasy sports game on any platform shall have to use his/her own skill, wisdom & judgement while creating a fantasy team. Accordingly, reader discretion is advised”.