4 franchises that could opt for a new opening combination in IPL 2023

The opening combination is a crucial aspect which teams have to figure out in a long tournament like the IPL. Powerplay is a vital phase which all teams have to take advantage of. Openers play the most important role in this phase. A few teams could opt for a fresh opening duo next season. On that note, in this article, we take a look at four franchises that could opt for a new opening combination in IPL 2023.

Teams will have to change their opening combination if the previous one did not click. Runs at a good strike rate are a necessity and with the 'Impact Player' coming in, we could see teams exploring various tactics for this aspect of team construction.

1) Sunrisers Hyderabad - Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma

Kane Williamson was a massive failure last season for SRH. With him not in the squad right now, SRH has an opportunity to try out different combinations. Mayank Agarwal was the team's top Indian pick in the recent auctions and would come in and slot as the opening partner for Abhishek. Both are aggressive cricketers and this would bode well for the franchise. There is also the option of Rahul Tripathi if the team wants more intent at the top.

2) Kolkata Knight Riders - N Jagadeesan and Venkatesh Iyer

KKR is one of the franchises that could opt for a new opening combination in IPL 2023. The franchise struggled to find the right opening combination for IPL 2022. This will remain their issue for IPL 2023, too. Their options include Jagadeesan, Venkatesh Iyer, Litton Das, R Gurbaz and Sunil Narine. While one wicketkeeper is certain in this department, the franchise will need to figure that out at the earliest.

3) Chennai Super Kings - Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ben Stokes

CSK might have to leave out Devon Conway because they have Ben Stokes on the side. This means that Stokes could also open the batting. Operating against pace is the best option for Stokes in the spin-assisting surface at Chepauk. He would also be a good complement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. Hence, CSK is a part of this list.

4) Gujarat Titans - Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan

Gujarat Titans are also one of the franchises that could opt for a new opening combination in IPL 2023. GT finished IPL 2022 with the opening combination of Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha. However, they now have Kane Williamson and KS Bharat, who was hired at the auctions. All these options aside, GT could try out B Sai Sudharsan as the opening partner for Gill. The youngster has been cracking form and he would also tick the right-left combination at the top. This would also help the team accomodate someone like Matthew Wade as the finisher.