New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings turned on the heat in the rain-curtailed IPL 2023 final to beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets (via DLS method) at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in a game that concluded at 01.35 am on Tuesday morning.
This was the fifth title win for the MS Dhoni-led side and they are now tied with Mumbai Indians as the most successful outfit in the tournament over the past 16 seasons.
The Titans had put up a stiff 214/4 in their 20 overs thanks largely to a hurricane 96 runs (47b) by Sai Sudharsan and a spirited 54 runs (39b) by wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha.
Just when CSK had got their chase underway, the rains came pelting down leading to a stoppage of over two hours. The game resumed at 12.10 am with a revised target of 171 in 15 overs, and CSK were off to a fine start with openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (26) and Devon Conway (47) putting on 74.
However, in the 15th and final over, CSK found themselves on the edge, needing 10 runs off the last two balls. That’s when the vastly experienced Ravindra Jadeja swung the game in his team’s favour, hitting medium pacer Mohit Sharma for a six and a four.
Post CSK’s triumph, JioCinema IPL expert Suresh Raina, said: “I am very happy that Ravindra Jadeja got to hit the winning shot. The way he has been wanting to help the team to wins, hitting a six and a four after amazing dot balls from Mohit Sharma. I think this was sensational. You could see MS Dhoni hugging Jadeja in the dressing room. This is a massive moment, all of India was cheering them on. JioCinema was covering them, even the ground was yellow. Ravindra Jadeja has done something only sir Ravi Jadeja would!”
Another JioCinema IPL expert AB de Villiers said: “The best tournament I’ve seen of the IPL. We’ve had so many close finishes and this was just the perfect finish. To go to the last ball on the final day of the TATA IPL 2023. I’m happy. I know the cricket lovers out there had a lot of fun, and we had a lot of fun too.”
Speaking about Dhoni, Robin Uthappa said: “Look at where he’s in his career. He’s at the far end, so he’s really looking to enjoy himself and enjoy every moment that he experiences. That’s precisely what he’s doing. I don’t think he’s thinking about retirement at the moment. I think he’ll take his time, think about everything, soak everything in, and like you said earlier in the tournament, he’ll make a decision six to seven months from now.”
–IANS
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