Chennai Super Kings celebrates after winning the IPL 2023 Title
The T20 format is known for delivering excitement in just 4 hours. But what happens when a T20 match stretches over three days? That’s exactly what happened in the unforgettable IPL 2023 Finals, where Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans faced off in a clash for the ages. The match began on 28th May 2023, but rain played spoilsport, pushing the action across three nail-biting days. Finally, on the night of 30th May 2023, the thrilling saga came to an end. Chennai Super Kings emerged victorious, clinching their record-equalling 5th IPL title in a last-ball finish that had fans on the edge of their seats. Want to relive that magical final? Let’s jump right in!
The IPL 2023 Final began on 28th May at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans ready for an epic clash. However, rain played spoilsport, pushing the game to the reserve day on 29th May. When the action finally resumed, Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bowl first, aiming to use the cloudy conditions. Gujarat Titans’ openers, Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, stepped in with confidence. Gill, in top form, attacked the bowlers, while Saha provided steady support. The duo smashed boundaries with ease, racing to 62/0 in the powerplay and looked for a big score.
It was the 7th over, and MS Dhoni’s brilliance struck as he stumped Shubman Gill for 39 runs off 20 balls in a flash. With Gill back in the hut, the partnership between Wriddhiman Saha and Sai Sudharsan blossomed. The duo began attacking the Chennai Super Kings bowlers, racing to 100 runs in just 11.1 overs. Saha reached his well-earned half-century off 36 balls, and Gujarat looked set for a big score with 12 overs still remaining. But Dhoni, always the strategist, made a bold call. He brought back Deepak Chahar, and the move paid off. Chahar sent Saha packing for 54 runs off 39 balls, halting Gujarat’s charge just as they seemed unstoppable.
In the middle overs, Hardik Pandya joined Sai Sudharsan, who had just brought up his half-century in 33 balls. Sudharsan, full of confidence, began taking on the CSK bowlers with no hesitation. In the 17th over, Tushar Deshpande found himself on the receiving end, as Sudharsan hit him for 20 runs, lifting Gujarat to 173/2 with 3 overs still to go. The 200-run mark was now within reach. In the penultimate over, Deshpande was targeted again, as both Sudharsan and Pandya attacked fiercely, scoring 18 runs. By the end of the 19th over, Gujarat had reached 200/2, leaving just one over for what promised to be an explosive finish.
The final over was bowled by Matheesha Pathirana, and Sai Sudharsan was in stunning form, hitting two massive sixes to move to 96 runs from just 46 balls. He needed just 4 more to complete his century, but a slower delivery caught him off guard, trapping him LBW for 96 runs. In the same over, Hardik Pandya struggled to find the boundary, and on the last ball of the innings, Rashid Khan was dismissed for a duck. Gujarat Titans finished their 20 overs with 214 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, setting a challenging target for Chennai Super Kings in what had been an action-packed innings.
Just before Chennai Super Kings could begin their innings, rain interrupted play, halting the game for over an hour. When play resumed, the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method came into play, adjusting the target for CSK to 171 runs in 15 overs. With the pitch still under covers, batting conditions weren’t ideal, but Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were undeterred. They attacked from the very first ball, displaying fearless aggression. The duo quickly found their rhythm, and within the first 5 overs, CSK had raced to 58 runs without losing a wicket. The chase was on, with the openers leading the charge in a thrilling pursuit of the revised target.
In a high-stakes IPL clash, Gujarat Titans utilized the Impact Player rule, bringing in Josh Little for Sai Sudharsan. However, Little conceded 14 runs in the 6th over, leaving CSK needing 99 from 54 balls. Sensing the urgency, Hardik Pandya handed the ball to Noor Ahmad in the 7th over. Noor delivered a game-changing over, dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad for 26 and then Devon Conway for 47, reducing CSK to 78/2. With pressure mounting, CSK introduced Shivam Dube as an Impact Player, replacing Matheesha Pathirana. Dube joined Ajinkya Rahane at the crease, and the pair reignited CSK’s innings with calculated aggression. By the 10th over, they propelled CSK to 112/2, leaving 59 runs to chase in the final five overs, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
In a nail-biting IPL match, Gujarat Titans brought back Mohit Sharma in the 11th over, banking on his stellar season of delivering key breakthroughs. On the fourth ball, Mohit struck, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane for a quick-fire 27 off 13 balls, reducing CSK to 117/3. With 50 runs needed off 20 balls, the pressure mounted on CSK. Hardik Pandya turned to Rashid Khan in the 12th over to stem the flow of runs. However, Shivam Dube countered brilliantly, smashing Rashid for two consecutive sixes to shift momentum and bring the equation down to 38 from 18 balls.
Inspired by Dube’s heroics, Ambati Rayudu, playing his final IPL match, unleashed an onslaught. In the next over, Rayudu hammered Mohit Sharma for two sixes and a boundary, electrifying the crowd. However, on the fourth delivery, Mohit had the last laugh, dismissing Rayudu for a blistering 19 off 8 balls. CSK were now 149/4 in 12.4 overs. The stadium erupted in anticipation as MS Dhoni, the legendary finisher, walked out to bat with 22 runs required off 14 balls. But hopes were short-lived as Dhoni was caught by David Miller off his very first ball, leaving CSK at 150/5 with 21 runs needed off the final two overs. The stage was set for a thrilling finish, but CSK faced an uphill battle.
The rain-shortened IPL final reached its climax as CSK needed 13 runs off the final over to claim their fifth title. Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube were at the crease, with Mohit Sharma entrusted by Hardik Pandya to defend the runs. The over began with a flawless yorker to Dube, resulting in a dot ball.
The second delivery was another pinpoint yorker, which Dube managed to jab for a single. With 12 runs needed off four balls, the pressure mounted on Jadeja. Facing a low full-toss on leg stump, he mistimed his shot and could only take a single (11 off 3).
The fourth ball was another low full-toss, and Dube nudged it for a single, leaving CSK needing 10 runs off the final two deliveries. Sensing the pressure, Hardik and Mohit huddled for a quick discussion before the crucial fifth ball. However, it backfired as Mohit missed his yorker and Jadeja seized the moment, smashing a full-length delivery flat over long-on for a massive six (4 off 1).
The tension was visible before the final ball as MS Dhoni, from the dugout, closed his eyes in anticipation. Mohit’s delivery was a low full-toss on the pads, and Jadeja skillfully guided it past short fine leg for a boundary. The stadium erupted as CSK clinched victory and Jadeja celebrated in jubilation before being lifted by Dhoni, the moment sealing CSK’s fifth IPL title and etching another thrilling chapter in cricket history.