Chennai thunderstorm in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: It’s day three of the IPL 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. The game that was supposed to start at 7 PM on May 28 is well into May 30. Thanks to the rain and a wet practice pitch, a two-hour delay after the first innings meant the MS Dhoni-led side began the chase at 12.10 AM on Monday. CSK needed 171 runs from 15 overs (DLS method) to snatch the title away from the defending champions and did exactly that to add a fifth title to their cabinet.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway knew what to do in the four-over powerplay. If Gaikwad pulled Mohammed Shami to the ropes, Conway jumped out to loft Hardik Pandya into the stands before whipping him behind square. Shami, too, was at the receiving end of Conway’s onslaught, being hit for back-to-back boundaries. When Rashid Khan came along, Gaikwad launched him over long-off and followed it up with a late cut to the ropes as CSK added 52/0 in four overs.

Although Gaikwad and Conway fell, Ajinkya Rahane came out all guns blazing to smash 27 runs from 13 balls, keeping the chase going. Shivam Dube was struggling to time the ball early on, but once Rahane got out, he hit Rashid Khan for consecutive sixes as Chennai raced to 133/3 in 13 overs. Ambati Rayudu too joined the party, hitting Mohit Sharma for 16 runs in three balls before getting out on the fourth. Dhoni got out for a first-ball duck. With 13 needed from the last over, Dube and Ravindra Jadeja took them home.

Earlier, 21-year-old B Sai Sudharsan changed the game for the Titans, helping them post 214/4. He came on to bat at a moment when the Titans had momentum. Thanks to Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, they had smashed 62/0 in the first six overs. But then Jadeja and Dhoni came together to conjure a perfect moment of magic to send Gill back.

Now, Sai Sudharsan was a regular in the playing XI when the season began, but with his role at No.3 and Pandya’s entry points not working out, they left him out midway. He was later brought back as an impact player, and the youngster made the most of it. His scores — 47 (36), 43 (31) — in the lead-up to the final were proof of it. Yet, it was a tricky phase for the Titans in the final. That Saha and Sai Sudharsan made 34 runs from overs 6-11 meant one of them had to take charge. And the 21-year-old showed that it is going to be his day.

He kicked off with an off-drive of Matheesha Pathirana. He followed it up with another four behind the third-man region. When Jadeja came on, Sai Sudharsan went down on one knee to take down the left-arm spinner. Saha got out but the youngster kept going at the other end, smashing two sixes of Maheesh Theekshana.

A slash behind point, a whip through mid-on, a scoop over fine-leg, and three consecutive boundaries through cover/mid-off on either side of the fielders followed as Sai Sudharsan raced from 48 from 31 balls to 76 from 40. Against Pathirana, he went back into the crease and launched Pathiran over extra cover before hitting the pacer over his head into the sight screens. Sai Sudharsan is now on 96, one hit away from a century in the IPL final. The anticipation was palpable. Pathirana came back strong to deliver a yorker, trapping him on the pads. Sai Sudharsan walked back to a standing ovation from the dugout, with Gill and Sai Kishore having the biggest grin on their faces.

Brief scores 
Gujarat Titans 214/4 in 20 ovs (Sai Sudharsan 96, Saha 54) lost to CSK 171/5 in 15 ovs (Conway 47, Dube 32 n.o). (DLS Method).

AHMEDABAD: It’s day three of the IPL 2023 final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. The game that was supposed to start at 7 PM on May 28 is well into May 30. Thanks to the rain and a wet practice pitch, a two-hour delay after the first innings meant the MS Dhoni-led side began the chase at 12.10 AM on Monday. CSK needed 171 runs from 15 overs (DLS method) to snatch the title away from the defending champions and did exactly that to add a fifth title to their cabinet. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway knew what to do in the four-over powerplay. If Gaikwad pulled Mohammed Shami to the ropes, Conway jumped out to loft Hardik Pandya into the stands before whipping him behind square. Shami, too, was at the receiving end of Conway’s onslaught, being hit for back-to-back boundaries. When Rashid Khan came along, Gaikwad launched him over long-off and followed it up with a late cut to the ropes as CSK added 52/0 in four overs. Although Gaikwad and Conway fell, Ajinkya Rahane came out all guns blazing to smash 27 runs from 13 balls, keeping the chase going. Shivam Dube was struggling to time the ball early on, but once Rahane got out, he hit Rashid Khan for consecutive sixes as Chennai raced to 133/3 in 13 overs. Ambati Rayudu too joined the party, hitting Mohit Sharma for 16 runs in three balls before getting out on the fourth. Dhoni got out for a first-ball duck. With 13 needed from the last over, Dube and Ravindra Jadeja took them home.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Earlier, 21-year-old B Sai Sudharsan changed the game for the Titans, helping them post 214/4. He came on to bat at a moment when the Titans had momentum. Thanks to Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, they had smashed 62/0 in the first six overs. But then Jadeja and Dhoni came together to conjure a perfect moment of magic to send Gill back. Now, Sai Sudharsan was a regular in the playing XI when the season began, but with his role at No.3 and Pandya’s entry points not working out, they left him out midway. He was later brought back as an impact player, and the youngster made the most of it. His scores — 47 (36), 43 (31) — in the lead-up to the final were proof of it. Yet, it was a tricky phase for the Titans in the final. That Saha and Sai Sudharsan made 34 runs from overs 6-11 meant one of them had to take charge. And the 21-year-old showed that it is going to be his day. He kicked off with an off-drive of Matheesha Pathirana. He followed it up with another four behind the third-man region. When Jadeja came on, Sai Sudharsan went down on one knee to take down the left-arm spinner. Saha got out but the youngster kept going at the other end, smashing two sixes of Maheesh Theekshana. A slash behind point, a whip through mid-on, a scoop over fine-leg, and three consecutive boundaries through cover/mid-off on either side of the fielders followed as Sai Sudharsan raced from 48 from 31 balls to 76 from 40. Against Pathirana, he went back into the crease and launched Pathiran over extra cover before hitting the pacer over his head into the sight screens. Sai Sudharsan is now on 96, one hit away from a century in the IPL final. The anticipation was palpable. Pathirana came back strong to deliver a yorker, trapping him on the pads. Sai Sudharsan walked back to a standing ovation from the dugout, with Gill and Sai Kishore having the biggest grin on their faces. Brief scores  Gujarat Titans 214/4 in 20 ovs (Sai Sudharsan 96, Saha 54) lost to CSK 171/5 in 15 ovs (Conway 47, Dube 32 n.o). (DLS Method).