After a total of 73 matches and 58 days, the razzmatazz of the Indian Premier League (IPL) reached Ahmedabad where the two best teams of the season met in the final. Four-time Champions Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Gujarat Titans locked horns against each other at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Chennai Super Kings were crowned the champions of the Indian Premier League 2023, after they beat Gujarat Titans in the summit clash on Monday, May 29.
The final, initially to be held on May 28, was postponed a day after incessant rain meant that no play was possible on Sunday. The reserve day came into use, and it was the first time that the IPL final was played a day after the scheduled start.
As far as the two teams contesting in the final are concerned, the CSK vs GT result went in favour of Gujarat Titans earlier this season in the league stage. The two sides faced each other in the first game of IPL 2023 and the Titans were the one who ended up emerging victorious.
However, in the first qualifier, when both teams faced yet again, the CSK vs GT result went in favour of MS Dhoni and his troops. The match was played at the Anbuden of CSK and they made sure to avenge the defeat earlier in the season and more importantly, sealed their place in the final.
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Who won IPL 2023?
In a rain-affected IPL final, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) successfully chased down a target of 171 runs in 15 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja playing a crucial role by smashing 15 runs off just 6 balls. The CSK batsmen put up a collective effort, with Devon Conway scoring 47 runs off 25 balls, Ruturaj Gaikwad contributing 26 runs off 16 balls, Shivam Dube remaining unbeaten on 32 runs off 21 balls, and Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu providing valuable contributions of 27 runs off 13 balls and 19 runs off 8 balls, respectively.
Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans (GT) had posted a mammoth total of 214/4 in their innings, which was reduced to 15 overs due to rain. Sai Sudharsan played an outstanding innings, scoring 96 runs off 47 balls, well-supported by Wriddhiman Saha (54 runs off 39 balls) and Shubman Gill (39 runs off 20 balls).
In CSK's chase of 171 runs in 15 overs, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway got off to a strong start, with Gaikwad hitting a four off the third ball and Conway hitting a six and a four in the early overs. Despite losing wickets, CSK maintained the momentum with timely boundaries and sixes from their batsmen. Noor Ahmad bowled well for GT, taking two important wickets, but Ajinkya Rahane's two sixes and good contributions from other batsmen kept CSK in the game.
With 21 runs needed off the final 12 balls, the match entered an intense phase. Mohit Sharma bowled an excellent penultimate over, giving away just eight runs. However, Jadeja's six off the first ball of the last over shifted the momentum back in CSK's favor. In a thrilling finish, Jadeja hit a four off the last ball to secure a victory for CSK and trigger wild celebrations.
Earlier, MS Dhoni, the captain of CSK, won the toss and elected to bowl. CSK made one change to their lineup, replacing Shivam Dube with Matheesha Pathirana. GT named an unchanged eleven for the final.
CSK started well with disciplined bowling and could have taken early wickets. However, a dropped catch by Deepak Chahar allowed Shubman Gill to continue his innings. Wriddhiman Saha played aggressively, hitting sixes and fours, while Gill capitalized on the opportunity after being dropped. CSK introduced spin, with Ravindra Jadeja providing some control and limiting GT's scoring rate.
Sai Sudharsan played a crucial role in accelerating GT's innings, hitting well-placed boundaries and finding the fence consistently. Despite losing wickets, Sudharsan continued his onslaught, reaching his fifty and hitting multiple sixes. GT finished their innings strongly, with captain Hardik Pandya and Sudharsan adding crucial runs in the penultimate over. Sudharsan eventually fell for 96.
In the end, CSK's successful chase and Jadeja's match-winning innings ensured their victory in the rain-shortened IPL final. The match showcased thrilling moments, exceptional performances, and a fitting end to the IPL season.
Know the finalists of IPL 2023
CSK’s road to the final in IPL 2023:
Once the CSK vs GT result in the first game didn’t go in their favour, Chennai Super Kings came up with a brilliant performance against Lucknow Super Giants and arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in their next two matches. The batting line-up made up for the inexperienced bowling attack, as the batters took on the responsibility.
However, while chasing, they stumbled against Rajasthan Royals at home. They lost the last-ball thriller by 3 runs. The loss was followed by an 8-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore and then by seven wickets over Sunrisers Hyderabad. CSK then travelled to Kolkata to beat the home side by 49 runs. However, they conceded yet another game to the Royals, this time by 32 runs.
This is where they hit the roadblock in their run in IPL 2023. After losing to RR, Punjab Kings chased down 201 runs against them while the crucial game against LSG was washed out. CSK were dominating the proceedings when rain arrived and the play never resumed.
MS Dhoni and his team then won three out of their last four matches to end their league stage in second place to earn the right of playing the first qualifier against GT. In the first qualifier, CSK stunned the defending champions to become the first finalists of IPL 2023.
GT’s road to the final in IPL 2023:
Gujarat Titans were always the favourites after the way they played in IPL 2022 and they started the season in the same way. They started their title defence with a 5-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings and then thumped Delhi Capitals by six wickets. A phenomenon named Rinku Singh then stunned not only GT but also many with his five sixes in the last over as GT lost to KKR at home.
But they soon returned to the winning ways beating Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders. In between they lost to Rajasthan Royals but a spree of wins followed and that loss didn’t dent them much.
Gujarat Titans put on a brilliant show in the rest of the league matches and ended the league stage at the top position. They won a staggering 10 matches out of 14 to earn 20 points to their name. However, CSK defeated them in the first qualifier.
Nevertheless, Hardik Pandya and his men were confident of their abilities as they made sure to beat Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier and qualify for the final.
