Chennai Super Kings (CSK) equalled the record set by Mumbai Indians (MI) after clinching their fifth IPL trophy with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29.
Batting first in the IPL 2023 final, the Titans posted a challenging total of 214/4, propelled by Sai Sudharsan’s explosive knock of 96 runs off 47 deliveries, which included eight fours and six maximums. Wriddhiman Saha also made a valuable contribution with his knock of 54 runs off 39 balls.
In pursuit of the revised target of 171 runs to win in 15 overs, CSK had Devon Conway to thank, as he was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his quickfire 47 runs off 25 deliveries. Additionally, Shivam Dube played an unbeaten innings of 32 runs off 21 balls. Ultimately, it was Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics in the last two balls, where he scored ten crucial runs, that secured the victory for CSK.
The winning moment was filled with emotions, not only for the CSK fans but also for those present at the stadium, as many speculated that this could potentially be Dhoni’s final match. Dhoni, after the team’s triumph, lifted Jadeja in celebration, and in a heartwarming scene, he was seen shedding tears. Another heartwarming moment occurred between Dhoni and his daughter Ziva, as she embraced her father with a warm hug, marking the start of jubilant celebrations in Ahmedabad.
Here’s the video:
We are not crying, you are 🥹
The Legend continues to grow 🫡#TATAIPL | #Final | #CSKvGT | @msdhoni | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/650x9lr2vH
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 30, 2023
Later, when it was time for the second, the one for which the cricket world waited with bated breaths, Dhoni made a heart-stopping ‘retirement’ remark that made the fans go berserk.
“This is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love I have received all over. The easy thing would be to walk away from here, but the harder thing would be working hard for 9 months and try to play another IPL,” Dhoni said in the post-match presentation.
“It would be a gift from me, won’t be easy on the body. You do get emotional, the first game at CSK everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water, I needed to take some time off in the dugout. I realised I need to enjoy this,” the CSK skipper added.
