Twitter Reactions

‘Ek abhi bhi hai joh wicket ke peeche se game badalta hai’ – Fan abuzz as MS Dhoni turns back the clock with lightening fast stumping to get rid of Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill scored 890 runs in IPL 2023, guaranteeing him the Orange Cap for the highest run-scorer

May 29, 2023 9:36 pm

The action returned for one last time in the sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on Gujarat Titans (GT) in the season finale. The match scheduled to happen on Sunday, May 28 had to be shifted to Monday, May 29, the reserve day due to persistent rain in Ahmedabad. CSK are on the hunt for a record-equalling fifth title whereas GT are chasing to become the third team to win consecutive IPL titles.

MS Dhoni, the captain of CSK, playing in his 250^th IPL game, captaining his 11^th IPL final (10^th with CSK) elected to bowl first after winning the toss on a surface that has historically favoured batting. Gujarat Titans accepted the invitation to bat first with both hands as they closed out at 214/4 from their 20 overs. GT’s star batter Shubman Gill had the chance to become the second batter in IPL history to surpass 900 runs in a single season.

CSK need 215 to win their fifth IPL title

However, some masterful work behind the stumps from MS Dhoni denied the youngster the opportunity who could only manage 39 off 20 balls. Gill misjudged the flight of the ball delivered by Ravindra Jadeja, missing the line completely. Dhoni collected the ball and did the rest as the young batter was shown the way to the pavilion in the final ball of the seventh over. 39 runs mean that Gill will end up on 890 runs for the season which guarantees him the Orange Cap for IPL 2023.

Following Gill’s dismissal, Wriddhiman Saha and Sai Sudarshan continued in unchanged momentum. Saha fell in the 14^th over after a well-scored 54 off 39 balls. To close off the innings, Sai Sudharshan and Hardik Pandya led the final carnage. Sudharshan was unlucky to miss out on his hundred as he had to walk away for 96 off 47 balls in the third ball of the final over. Rashid Khan couldn’t influence the score falling in the final ball of the innings for a two-ball duck. At the same time, Hardik Pandya contributed well with 21 off 12 balls.