After a wait of more than 24 hours due to rain, the IPL 2023 Final turned out to be a grand spectacle, as Chennai Super Kings lifted the trophy for the fifth time after Ravindra Jadeja scored ten runs off the last two overs of CSK’s innings to target 171 (DLS).
The Gujarat Titans batted first and put on a mammoth total of 214/4 on the board, riding on Sai Sudharsan’s brilliant knock of 96 from just 47 deliveries. The IPL Final ceremony was on during the innings break, which went well. The fans had a good time watching Divine and Jonita Gandhi perform, but rain intervened. The match was stopped for around two hours; it resumed at 12:10 AM IST, with CSK setting a revised target of 171 to chase in 15 overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway got their team to a good start again, with an opening stand of 74 runs in just six overs. But they lost three quick wickets and were down to 117/3. However, all the CSK batters who came out to bat scored at a good rate. The good contributions of an unbeaten 32 in 21 deliveries from Shivam Dube, 27 off 13 by Ajinkya Rahane, and 19 off eight by Ambati Rayudu kept CSK in the hunt. But they still required ten to win the last two deliveries of the innings, a task that looked Herculean. But Jadeja kept a cool head and smashed a six and a four off consecutive deliveries to take CSK to their fifth title.
The scene was absolutely wild, as the entire CSK squad ran onto the pitch. MS Dhoni rarely gets emotional, but this time he lifted up Ravindra Jadeja to show his joy for the all-rounder. With this win, CSK became the joint-most successful team in the history of the IPL along with the Mumbai Indians.
Other Memorable Moments of IPL 2023
Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill scoring consecutive centuries
This has been a stellar IPL season for both the master and his apprentice. Shubman Gill won the Orange Cap for amassing over 850 runs, whereas Kohli also struck form with over 600 runs at an average of over 50. They also set the unique record for scoring consecutive tons this season.
Kohli did it in RCB’s last two league matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans, while Gill did it against SRH and RCB. In fact, their second hundreds came in the same match between the Titans and RCB; it was Gill’s effort that eclipsed Kohli’s effort, knocking RCB out of the playoffs.
Rinku Singh’s five consecutive sixes
It will go down in the IPL history as one of the tournament’s most iconic moments. Rinku Singh, who finished as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ highest run-scorer this season, smashed five consecutive sixes in the last over against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad to propel KKR to a victory. In a team with superstars like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, it was an uncapped Rinku Singh who stepped up and did something unimaginable!
Yashasvi Jaiswal Recording the Highest Score By An Uncapped Player
Rajasthan Royals’ Yashasvi Jaiswal registered the highest score by an uncapped Indian player in the history of the IPL. He smashed 124 off just 62 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on 30th April. Jaiswal produced a breathtaking display of stroke play leaving everyone completely mind-blown! His knock helped Rajasthan in posting a total of 212/7 on the board, but they still lost the game as Mumbai chased it down with six wickets and three deliveries to spare. Jaiswal was awarded the Player of the Match for his superb effort.
Akash Madhwal’s magical spell of 5/5
Uncapped Indian pacer Akash Madhwal is one of the players who have impressed everyone this season. He bowls at over 140 kilometres per hour and delivers accurate yorkers in the death overs. Madhwal enjoys a naturally skiddy bowling action that makes him difficult to play against. He dished out his best in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants, as he completely blew them away with a destructive spell of 3.3-0-5-5. His performance broke Lucknow’s back and bowled them out for 101. Mumbai won the match by 81 runs.
