ANI
Chennai
MS Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their tenth IPL final as their bowlers bundled out the batting lineup of Gujarat Titans (GT) to win by 15 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Qualifier 1 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
CSK bowlers collectively weakened the GT’s batting unit. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers, he dismissed two batters by conceding only 18 runs. Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana and Deepak Chahar also claimed two wickets each.
Chasing a total of 173, GT openers started slow and steady. However, CSK blowers got the first breakthrough early in the innings as Deepak Chahar cleared up Wriddhiman Saha in the 3rd over.
CSK’s Maheesh Theekshana got the second wicket of GT when he dismissed skipper Hardik Pandya in the 5.5 overs. He scored 8 off 7 balls.
Trying to steer the innings after losing quick wickets, GT reached to 50-run mark in 7.3 overs.
As the required run rate kept on rising, the GT batter got under pressure to hit the boundary and in the process they lost another wicket in the 10.3 over. Ravindra Jadeja cleared up Dasun Shanaka who was batting at 17 off 16 balls.
CSK did not give any opportunity to GT for a comeback, they kept on collecting wickets at regular intervals of time. At 12.5 over, Jadeja again stuck the wicket and dismissed David Miller cheaply at 4 off 6 balls.
In the next over, Deepak Chahar got the massive breakthrough of in-form batter Shubman Gill. Shuman Gill scored a fighting 42 off 38 balls.
None of the GT batters were able to tough double digits. In the 14.3 over, Theekshana picked up the wicket of Rahul Tewatia who scored just 3 off 5 balls.
All-rounder Rashid Khan did hit a few boundaries to have the hopes alive but wickets are falling from the other sides. GT’s last proper batter Vijay Shankar also returned to the pavilion after Pathirana dismissed him at 14 off 10 balls in 17.3 overs. In the next ball, Darshan Nalkande was dismissed on a golden duck after being run out by SP Senapati.
Rashid’s fighting knock came to an end after Deshpande dismissed him. He scored 30 off 16 balls.
GT batting bundled out as Mohammed Shami was dismissed by Pathirana on the last ball.
Earlier, put into bat, Chennai Super Kings lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad with only five runs on the board.
Darshan Nalkande got the wicket of Gaikwad but his celebration was short-lived as umpire called it a no-ball.
After that Gaikwad and Devon Conway batted well and helped CSK put on 49 without the loss of any wicket in first six overs of powerplay.
The four-time champions went past the 50-run mark in just 6.1 overs.
Gaikwad looked in great touch and went onto notch-up his half-century in 36 balls.
The Gaikwad-Conway’s opening partnership was finally broken as Mohit Sharma dismissed the right-hander for 60 from 44 balls as Chennai lost their first wicket for 87.
In the next over left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad dismissed Shivan Dube for 1 as CSK lost their second wicket for 90.
Conway along with Ajinkya Rahane took Chennai Super Kings beyond triple-figure mark in 13.1 overs.
Rahane looked in decent touch but was dismissed for 17 from 10 balls by Darshan Nalkande to reduce CSK to 121/3 in 14.5 overs.
In the next over CSK lost another wicket in the form of opener Conway as Mohammed Shami sent him packing for 40 to leave CSK in trouble at 125/4.
Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja batted sensibly to take Chennai close to 150.
Rashid Khan then dismissed Rayudu for 17 from 9 balls as CSK lost their fifth wicket for 148.
After Rayudu’s wicket there was a huge roar from Chennai crowd as Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out to bat. Dhoni along with Ravindra Jadeja took CSK past 150-run mark in 18.2 overs.
The celebration was short-lived as three balls later MS Dhoni was dismissed for just one by Mohit Sharma caught by Hardik Pandya at covers as CSK lost their sixth wicket for 155.
Moeen Ali joined Jadeja and the duo took the Super Kings to 172/7 in 20 overs as Shami dismissed Jadeja for 22 off 16 balls on the last ball of the innings.
Moeen remained unbeaten on 9 from 4 balls.
Scores: CSK 172/7 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 60 (44), Devon Conway 40 (34); Mohammed Shami 2/28, Mohit Sharma 2/31) beat GT 157 (Shubman Gill 42, Rashid Khan 30, Ravindra Jadeja 2-18) by 15 runs.
