The Chennai Super Kings won the 2023 Indian Premier League on Monday night when they defeated the Gujarat Titans by five wickets (D/L method). In a rain-curtailed game in Ahmedabad, CSK chased down a 171-run target inside a maximum of 15 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja hitting the winning runs on the final ball of the game. The left-handed batter hit a six and a four with 10 runs required off the last two deliveries in the match.
This was CSK's fifth IPL title – the one that levelled them with Mumbai Indians for most titles in tournament's history – and the franchise's players celebrated in style following the win in Ahmedabad. During the celebrations, the CSK players also recreated a viral Instagram reel with the IPL trophy.
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Earlier, set a revised target of 171 in 15 overs after rain interrupted play at the start of the second innings of a final that was pushed to the reserve day owing to heavy downpour, CSK completed the task in the last ball.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, set a revised target of 171 in 15 overs after rain interrupted play at the start of the second innings of a final that was pushed to the reserve day owing to heavy downpour, CSK completed the task in the last ball.
{{/usCountry}}It remains to be seen whether Mahendra Singh Dhoni – the CSK skipper – would return to lead CSK once again next year or not, as the entire IPL and even the final was all about Dhoni-mania.
The fans filled the Narendra Modi Stadium to the brink for two days, remained undeterred when the weather went awry, waited for a truncated match to start well beyond midnight on Monday — all this to see Dhoni winning the IPL again.
In the end, CSK prevailed over the defending champions via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (26) and Devon Conway (47) knocked off 74 runs from the target in only 6.3 overs. Shivam Dube stayed till the end with an unbeaten 32, but lost Ajinkya Rahane (27), Ambati Rayudu (19) and Dhoni (0) in quick succession to see CSK's chances diminish.
Needing 13 to win from the final over, CSK could only manage three singles off the first four balls, before Jadeja's power-hitting in the final two games secured a fifth trophy for IPL.