GT vs CSK, IPL 2023: CSK Player Ratings as MS Dhoni's men falter despite Ruturaj Gaikwad blitz

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) got their 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign off to a losing start as the Gujarat Titans (GT) beat them by five wickets in Ahmedabad on Friday, March 31.

After winning the toss and electing to field, GT restricted CSK to 178/7, a score that was at least 15 runs below par. Rashid Khan was the pick of the Gujarat bowlers with two wickets before Shubman Gill helped them chase down the total with a stellar fifty.

Here are CSK's player ratings from Match 1 of IPL 2023 against GT.

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IPL 2023, GT vs CSK: Hangargekar, Gaikwad impress in the tournament opener

Ruturaj Gaikwad: 9.5/10

Gaikwad kept the CSK innings afloat, with the next highest score being 23. The stylish opener hit nine superb sixes in an astonishing batting display. He could've perhaps done slightly better on the ball he got out to, which was a high full toss, as well as a tough chance on the boundary.

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Devon Conway: 2/10

Conway looked all at sea as Mohammad Shami tormented him before dismissing him. The Kiwi opener threw himself about on the field.

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Moeen Ali: 6/10

Moeen looked to inject some momentum into CSK's powerplay in a welcome throwback to 2021. He eventually lost out during an enticing battle with Rashid Khan when he should have played out that over and looked to capitalize on the other bowlers.

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Ambati Rayudu: 4/10

Rayudu was understandably rusty out in the middle and looked agitated right from the start of his innings. The veteran batter hit one six but was cleaned up by Josh Little before being substituted out.

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Ben Stokes: 2/10

Stokes couldn't make an impression on his CSK debut as Rashid got the Englishman dismissed once again in the IPL. The southpaw, who batted at No. 4, will want to show what he's made of in the next game.

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Shivam Dube: 4/10

Dube's painstaking innings sucked the momentum out of the death overs, with the Super Kings managing just 57 in the last seven overs. His troubles against hard lengths aimed at his body surfaced for what seemed like the millionth time, although he did somewhat redeem himself with an excellent catch in the deep.

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Ravindra Jadeja: 7/10

Jadeja couldn't contribute much with the bat but sent down a miserly spell that yielded just 28 runs. He was the most economical bowler on display and also castled Hardik Pandya.

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MS Dhoni: 7/10

Dhoni should've arguably come in to bat much earlier. The CSK skipper carted a six and a four in the final over to send the crowd into a frenzy. He doesn't appear to be fully fit, and it wouldn't be far-fetched to claim that he got his team selection wrong as well.

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Mitchell Santner: 5/10

Santner wasn't at his best with the ball. The left-arm spinner's four overs went for 32 runs without producing a wicket, with him being unable to reprise the holding role expected of him. He made some nice stops on the field.

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Deepak Chahar: 5/10

Chahar's opening two overs were devoid of much wicket-taking threat, and although his third was a decent one under pressure, he lost the plot in his final over. The pacer sent down a length delivery that was smoked for six before following it up with a short-and-wide one.

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Rajvardhan Hangargekar: 8/10

Hangargekar finally made his IPL debut and lived up to the hype. He showed excellent nerves under pressure and ended up with three wickets. The 20-year-old is still definitely raw and made some silly errors but could have a breakthrough season this year.

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Tushar Deshpande [impact]: 1/10

CSK's first-ever impact player was their worst bowler. Deshpande leaked 51 runs in just 3.2 overs as he got his lines and lengths all wrong. He just seemed like a very hittable bowler, and his wicket of Shubman Gill was scant consolation.