The opening match of IPL 2023 will be played today. In this match, there is a contest between the four times champions Chennai Super Kings and the last winner Gujarat Titans. There is an interesting figure before this game that will reduce the tension for both teams. This is because in the 15 IPL seasons so far, the same team has become champion twice, having lost the opening game of IPL.
From IPL 2008 to 2022 i.e. it has happened 5 times in 15 seasons of this league, when only the team that met in the opening match of IPL has won the title. That is, only one third of the trophy comes from the part of the team that will compete in the opening match of the IPL. Out of these 5 trophies, three trophies have been won by the one who has won the opening match of the IPL and two trophies have gone to the account of the one who has lost the opening match of the IPL. This is a figure that will give relief to the Chennai and Gujarat teams. Based on this figure, the chances of these two teams becoming IPL 2023 champions now becomes 33%.
This happened in IPL 2011, 2014 and 2018 when the team that won the opening match also won the final IPL match. In IPL 2011, CSK defeated KKR by 2 runs and then won the trophy by defeating RCB in the final match. In the first match of IPL 2014, KKR defeated Mumbai by 41 runs. Later, the KKR team became champions by defeating Kings XI Punjab in the final. Similarly, in the opening match of IPL 2018, CSK defeated Mumbai Indians by a wicket and won the title by defeating SRH in that season’s final.
In the opening match of IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians were beaten by KKR by 7 wickets. Later, Mumbai performed brilliantly and reached the final and won the title by defeating CSK. Similarly, also in IPL 2020, Mumbai Indians were defeated in the opening match. CSK defeated Mumbai by 5 wickets. Later, in the final of that season, the Mumbai Indians won the trophy by defeating the Delhi Capitals.
