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Sachin Tendulkar, an iconic figure in Indian cricket, expressed his admiration for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and MS Dhoni after their last-ball thriller against Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 final. The match played at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday night was delayed for several days due to rain interruption. CSK’s Ravindra Jadeja played a remarkable innings by hitting a six and a four off the last two balls to secure CSK’s record-equalling fifth IPL title.
The IPL final was an unprecedented spectacle which extended for almost three days due to adverse weather conditions. Reserve day play continued after midnight following Sunday’s rain, leading to an exciting contest. Batting first, Gujarat Titans (GT) posted an impressive 214/4 riding on Sai Sudarshan’s brilliant knock of 96 and Wriddhiman Saha’s brilliant half-century. CSK started their chase, but rain interrupted the match after just three balls. After a prolonged delay, play resumed with CSK set a revised target of 171 runs in 15 overs.
what ended one of the most fascinating @IPL Always the season! Both @ChennaiIPL And @gujarat_titans Fought fiercely, but Chennai’s batting depth proved to be a factor in the win, as I mentioned.
It was not an easy task to choose the winner considering the exceptional performance by_ pic.twitter.com/ZoKh4SnKVJ
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 30, 2023
In a nail-biting finish, MS Dhoni’s men managed to seal the win off the last ball and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Sachin Tendulkar congratulated both CSK and GT on Twitter and Instagram for their efforts, acknowledging the thrilling nature of the final and praising CSK for their depth as a team. With their fifth title win, CSK joined Mumbai Indians as the most successful teams in IPL history.
Tendulkar lauded the overall performance of both the teams throughout the season and acknowledged the difficulty in picking a winner. He lauded the intensity of the match, which kept the fans on the edge of their seats till the very end. The veteran cricketer, who is also serving as the mentor of Mumbai Indians, highlighted the crucial role played by CSK’s batting depth in their victory.
During the run chase, CSK openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a promising start, sharing fifty partnerships in the powerplay overs. Though spinner Noor Ahmed got rid of both the openers in quick succession, CSK continued their aggressive approach. Ajinkya Rahane contributed 27 off 13 balls while Rayudu’s explosive hitting was curtailed by successive wickets of Mohit Sharma. Sharma took a return catch to dismiss Rayudu and later had Dhoni caught for a first-ball duck. That left Jadeja and Shivam Dube, who played a crucial unbeaten 32 off 21 balls, to guide CSK to victory.
MS Dhoni, who has been leading the Chennai franchise since the inception of IPL, expressed his desire to continue playing for one more season. Despite the temptation to retire, Dhoni acknowledged the immense love and support he has received from CSK fans and considered it a gift to play one more season.
In the final over, Mohammed Shami delivered an exceptional performance, conceding only three runs and leaving CSK with the daunting task of scoring 13 runs off the last six balls. However, brilliant bowling from Mohit Sharma restricted CSK to just nine runs from the first four balls. It looked as though CSK might fall short, but Jadeja’s extraordinary last-minute heroics sealed the victory.
Earlier in the match, Chennai’s fielding lapse gave Gujarat Titans a chance to gain momentum. Deepak Chahar missed catching chances against Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha. Gill, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 890 runs, contributed a 20-ball 39 before being stumped by Dhoni. Saha played an important inning of 54 runs. Sudarshan played aggressively and stitched two crucial partnerships, including a 64-run partnership with Saha and an explosive 81-run partnership in just 33 balls with Titans captain Hardik Pandya. Sudarshan’s innings included eight fours and six sixes but he was denied a well-deserved century by Mathisha Pathirana’s brilliant yorker in the final over.
