The first match of the IPL 2023, between the defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 31.
The 16th iteration of the competition is expected to be just as exciting as previous iterations. For the first time since 2019, the classic home-and-away format is being used, and there is also the added interest of the impact player replacement to be aware of.
Of course, at the end of the day, everything will come down to the methods that teams develop to outlast the competition. Matchups will undoubtedly be important in achieving this goal, and opponents of teams with southpaw-heavy batting lineups will undoubtedly be aware of this.
Here, we examine the three teams that may feature many left-handed batsmen in their batting lineups for the IPL in 2023.
Depending on the lineup they select for a particular day, the four-time winners could have as many as five left-handed batters in their top seven.
Although Ravindra Jadeja is guaranteed to start, players like Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, and Shivam Dube have a good chance of cracking the starting Lineup. And to top it all off, CSK won Ben Stokes’ services at the IPL 2023 auction. It will be interesting to see how they use him.
The encouraging aspect comes from Conway’s successful track record against right-arm off-spin and Ali’s capacity to overcome spin himself. Each of these left-handers is quite different from the others.
With that considered, the Super Kings would be wise to make sure they have a healthy
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) boast a left-hander heavy batting lineup which starts right at the top, with Venkatesh Iyer expected to open the innings. Stand-in captain Nitish Rana and young Rinku Singh are set to play crucial roles in the middle order, while there’s every chance that Sunil Narine could be spiked up the batting order to take down spin.
The absence of Shreyas Iyer for the start of IPL 2023 leaves a huge hole in the KKR playing XI. Taking down spin shouldn’t be too much of a problem, although finding the ideal left-right combination for a given phase of the game is something that they will have to work out.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) past season suffered from a left-handed batter shortage in the middle innings. Depending on the lineup they use for IPL 2023, they might have one too many southpaws this time.
Despite the debut of Sam Curran, Shikhar Dhawan is the Kings’ undisputed starter. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Harpreet Bhatia, and Raj Bawa might all compete for a spot in the middle order now that Jonny Bairstow won’t be playing in the competition. Perhaps included in the mix is Harpreet Brar.
The Kings have more domestic and international choices, ensuring a solid balance. But how they approach it will only become clear with time.
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IPL 2023 matchup between CSK and GT