The formidable pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway forged a scintillating century stand to power Chennai Super Kings to 217 for seven against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. The highly-rated Gaikwad turned heads after smashing a classy half-century to lead CSK`s charge, while skipper MS Dhoni carted two big sixes before heading back to the pavilion, going for a third off Mark Wood`s bowling for 12 off 3 balls. After Gaikwad and Conway set the stage ablaze with blistering knocks, some very valuable contributions followed from Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali.
Lucknow Super Giants succumbed to their first defeat of the season, after having beaten Delhi Capitals by 50 runs in their campaign opener. As a consequence, they were pushed behind in the third spot with one win and one loss from two matches played so far. CSK, on the other hand, heaved a sigh of relief after gaining two points, days after losing to defending champions Gujarat for a third time in the tournament`s history.
Also Read: IPL 2023: How have each teams utilised `Impact Player` rule in 5 games so far?
The 52-day tournament has expectedly brought back all the intensity, rivalries, and buzz among cricket fans from across the globe. With some of the biggest names in the roster, this year’s IPL will draw even more attention as it will be played on home and away basis in India. The previous three IPL seasons suffered massive setbacks amid rising Covid-19 cases, with two seasons held in UAE and the last being restricted to Mumbai. Not only the sponsors incurred a huge loss amid restrictions due to the pandemic, fans were also barred from attending matches. However, this time around, the excitement appears to be through the roof for both fans and sponsors as there will be no such limitations.
Without much ado, let`s dwell into how the IPL 2023 Points Table looks like ahead of the encounter between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.
| Teams | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Net Run Rate (NRR) | Total Points |
| Rajasthan Royals | 1 | 1 | 0 | +3.600 | 2 |
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1.981 | 2 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 2 | 1 | 1 | +0.950 | 2 |
| Gujarat Titans | 1 | 1 | 0 | +0.514 | 2 |
| Punjab Kings | 1 | 1 | 0 | +0.438 | 2 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 2 | 1 | 1 | +0.036 | 2 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.438 | 0 |
| Mumbai Indians | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1.981 | 0 |
| Delhi Capitals | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2.500 | 0 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 1 | 0 | 1 | -3.600 | 0 |
