The Indian Premier League’s 16th edition commenced on March 31st, 2023, with a thrilling match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The opening ceremony of the tournament, which featured performances from popular artists such as Tamannaah Bhatia, Rashmika Mandanna, and Arijit Singh, was a hit among fans.

Arijit Singh’s soulful music captivated the audience, comprising over a lakh fans, who had gathered to watch the iconic clash between Chennai and Gujarat. His performance added to the festive atmosphere.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, both team captains, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni, took to the stage to take photographs with the performers. During this time, Arijit Singh showed his respect to Dhoni by touching his feet, and a picture of this moment quickly went viral on social media.

The defending champions Gujarat Titans kicked off their campaign with a five-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings, with Shubman Gill scoring a half-century (63) and Rashid Khan putting up an all-round performance.

Chasing a target of 179 runs, Gujarat Titans got off to a similar start to that of CSK with just three runs off the first over. Then, Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha took 15 runs off the over by hitting Deshpande for a couple of fours and a six. In the final over, Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan hit crucial boundaries, securing the victory for Gujarat Titans.

The match ended with Chennai Super Kings scoring 178/7 in 20 overs and Gujarat Titans scoring 182/5 in 19.2 overs. Shubman Gill was named the Man of the Match for his impressive knock.