A fifty partnership by Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad and cameos from Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeat Gujarat Titans (GT) in a final ball thriller by five wickets at Ahmedabad on Monday to clinch their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja dedicated the victory to skipper MS Dhoni.
Jadeja said, “It feels amazing, to win my fifth title in front of my home crowd. I am from Gujarat, and it is a special feeling. This crowd has been amazing. They were waiting for rain to stop till late at night, I would like to say a big congratulations to the CSK fans who came to support us.”
“I would like to dedicate this win to a special member of the CSK side, MS Dhoni.”
“I was just thinking I need to swing hard, as much as I can. Where the ball will go, I was not thinking about that, just looking to swing hard. I was backing myself and looking to hit straight, because I know Mohit can bowl those slower balls,” said Jadeja after the match.
CSK Captain MS Dhoni said that though it is a perfect time for him to retire from the game, he would play one more season for the fans after all the love and affection they have shown to him all over India, even though it is,
“hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and prepare for next season.”
MS Dhoni has scored 104 runs in 12 innings this IPL 2023. He scored these runs at an average of 26, with a strike rate of above 182. His best score this season was 32*.
Gujarat Titans’ (GT) star batter Shubman Gill on Monday became the Orange Cap holder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 with 890 runs in the season.
Gill has ended the IPL 2023 with the Orange Cap on his head, becoming the youngest player to do so. In 17 matches, he has scored 890 runs at an average of 63.57 and a strike rate of 158.08, with three centuries and four fifties and best score of 129.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf Du Plessis claimed the second spot in the tally with 730 runs in 14 innings while CSK opener Devon Conway (672) clinched the third spot. RCB batter Virat Kohli with 639 runs is in the fourth position while Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is in the fifth position with 625 runs.
Gujarat Titans (GT)’s pacer Mohammed Shami walked away with the ‘Purple Cap’ for the most wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 following his side’s loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final at Ahmedabad on Monday.
In 17 matches, Shami took 28 wickets at an average of 18.64 and an economy rate of 8.03. He had the best bowling figures of 4/11 in the tournament. This is Shami’s most successful IPL season since his debut back in 2013.
After receiving the ‘Purple Cap’, Shami said,
“(On powerplay bowling) It is always enjoyable for the viewers, but difficult to execute. Only two fielders allowed outside, lots of responsibility but that’s my role in the team. If you are bowling in the right areas, you will get rewards – be in a red ball or white ball.”
However, Shami was expensive in the final as he gave away 29 runs in three overs with an economy rate of 9.70.
A rock-solid partnership between Conway-Ruturaj had helped set the foundation for a successful run-chase, but a game-changing spell from Mohit Sharma threatened to take away the win from CSK. However, Dube and Jadeja kept calm to seal a memorable title win for the Men in Yellow. The match resumed as a 15-over affair after rain interrupted action for a while. CSK was set a new target of 171 runs to win in 15 overs.
Openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad seemed to be unfazed by anything as they provided a quick start to four-time champions. At the end of 4 overs of the powerplay under revised conditions, CSK was at 52/0, with Conway (27*) and Gaikwad (23*) unbeaten.
Noor Ahmed’s spin gave Gujarat the much-needed breakthrough in the seventh over, dismissing Gaikwad for 26 off 16 balls, consisting of three fours and a six. CSK was 74/1 in 6.3 overs after Rashid Khan’s catch at backward point ended Gaikwad’s innings.
Shivam Dube was next up. Noor took another wicket in this over to send back Conway for 47 off 25 balls, consisting of four boundaries and two sixes. Mohit Sharma took the catch to dismiss the in-form opener. CSK was 78/2 in seven overs.
However, CSK was 149/4 in 12.4 overs.
MS Dhoni was next up on the crease. Dhoni was dismissed for a first-ball duck, Mohit got his third wicket and CSK was at 149/5 in 12.5 overs.
CSK needed 21 in 12 balls. The penultimate over by Mohammed Shami gave away eight runs. CSK needed 13 runs in the final over.
Mohit Sharma could not defend 13 runs in the final over as Ravindra Jadeja hit the four on the final ball. CSK won the match by five wickets.
Mohit was the pick of the bowlers for GT, taking 3/36 in his four overs. Noor Ahmed (2/17) was also impressive with the ball.
Earlier in GT’s last over, Sudharsan slammed two back-to-back sixes, however, he lost his wicket to Matheesha Pathirana. Pathirana delivered superb balls and took the wicket of Rashid Khan on the last ball of the final over to restrict GT to 214/4 in 20 overs.
Brief score: Gujarat Titans 214/4 (Sai Sudharsan 96, Wriddhiman Saha 54; Matheesha Pathirana 2-44) vs Chennai Super Kings.
