MS Dhoni’s inability to resurrect his old magic with the bat sent a wave of disappointment through the Chepauk. But by the end of the evening, everything had vanished into thin air.
The thousands of spectators in the galleries knew that their celebration had only just begun as MS Dhoni himself was beaming as he led Chennai Super Kings to their 10th IPL final in what was likely his final game at this venue.
CSK advanced to the IPL final for the tenth time
As a result of the Gujarat Titans’ inability to match the skill and calibre of a team that appeared to have a keen understanding of their home field while needing to win by 173 runs.
Even though there was a certain Shubman Gill to worry about, Dhoni knew his bowlers had what it took to defend 172 despite the absence of dew. Ravindra Jadeja (2/18) becomes unplayable on a track where the ball was spinning, despite Gill’s effort (42 off 38 balls).
It was crucial for the Titans to avoid taking too many chances when dealing with the cunning customer. But when they tried it, David Miller and Dasun Shanaka lost their wickets, tipping the scales in favour of CSK.
It appeared to be almost over when Gill quickly followed and botched a pull-off Chahar. The Titans had already lost too many wickets when Rashid Khan attempted a massive onslaught with some unconventional hitting toward the end.
The CSK supporters knew it was time to celebrate when Rashid was eventually bowled out in the 19th over after scoring a brilliant 30 off 16 balls.
Despite having excellent bowlers, the CSK batsmen’s early luck when they were batting proved to be very important. When he lobbed a ball to Shubman Gill off medium-pacer Darshan Nalkande, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was on two. Due to Nalkande’s overreach, which gave Ruturaj new life, it would have been a significant blow.
The next ball went for a six as the crowd cheered in excitement and Ruturaj realized that it might be his day. The shots came easily from his bat during the Powerplay, which put Gujarat Titans in a precarious position.
Devon Conway kept Ruturaj company while he searched for gaps, and CSK easily passed the 50-mark in the first six overs. They scored 87 out of 10. On a pitch like this, 3 overs were a significant number.
The slow pitch allowed veteran medium-pacer Mohit Sharma, who had played his best cricket for CSK, to force Ruturaj (60 off 44 balls) to make a false shot, which allowed GT to get back into the game. CSK appeared to be caught in the headlights for a while, but the team has a strong batting lineup.
Even after Dhoni was dismissed, once more falling victim to Mohit’s slower ball, Jadeja (22 off 16 balls) and Moeen Ali provided the finishing flourish that propelled CSK over 170 points. It turned out to be more than enough for the yellow brigade by the end of the day.
Twitter Reactions After CSK’s Win:
Chennai players dancing in the lift after reaching the final..#CSK pic.twitter.com/AjtDwco9zq
— ˢʰⁱᵛ♕︎ (@BeinggSalmanics) May 24, 2023
Profile pic tho Srh rcb ni pampinchesav next target csk na pic.twitter.com/sUEVaLBQh2
— Latha🧜🏻♀️ (@Latha4U) May 24, 2023
Csk fan hun is liye🤣🤣
— Rutherford (@onlinecaptain7) May 24, 2023
I think it's CSK vs MI in Final and CSK winning
— Midev Karuvath Madonandy (@midevkm18) May 24, 2023
The Amazing Journey of CSK 💛🔥
Comeback Super Kings 💯 pic.twitter.com/gSLPEbSTCv— 𐍃𐌵𐌱𐌷𐌻𐌽𐌺𐌻𐍂 (@Suvhu0854) May 24, 2023
CSK 2016 WAS LIT 🔥
— aj (@a_j_e_y_) May 24, 2023
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