Chennai Super Kings have qualified for the IPL 2023 finals. They have done it again. Dhoni & Co have a knack for making superb comebacks following every flop season. In 2020, they were at the bottom of the table and then in 2021, they won the title for the 4th time. 2022 was underwhelming and they bounced back stronger in 2023 and are now through to the finals once again.
Batting first on their home ground, Chennai Super Kings got off to a strong start, thanks to their opening batsmen who provided an early advantage against Gujarat. Ruturaj Gaikwad played a crucial role in CSK’s aggressive batting display by smashing yet another half-century. He faced 44 deliveries and scored 60 runs before becoming the first CSK batsman to be dismissed. Gaikwad’s innings had a strike rate of 136.36 and included seven boundaries and one six. Devon Conway also contributed with 40 runs off 34 balls.
Gujarat Titans’ bowlers made some breakthroughs with Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma taking two wickets each, while Darshan Nalkande, Rashid Khan, and Noor Ahmed claimed one wicket each. Their efforts aimed to restrict CSK’s scoring and create opportunities for a comeback.
Chennai Super Kings faced off against Gujarat Titans, and midway through the second innings, the MS Dhoni-led team took control of the game. The CSK bowlers displayed disciplined bowling, restricting the Gujarat Titans batters. In the 14th over, Deepak Chahar even considered mankading Vijay Shankar as a strategic move to put more pressure on the Gujarat Titans. However, Chahar decided against it, withdrawing with a smile, to maintain the competitive spirit of the game.
In the same over, Deepak Chahar had already made a significant impact by taking a wicket. He dismissed the dangerous batsman Shubman Gill, who was caught by Devon Conway at deep square leg. Gill had been the only shining light in Gujarat’s struggling batting lineup, scoring 42 runs before his departure. It was a crucial breakthrough for Chennai Super Kings.
Earlier in his spell, Chahar had also struck in the second over to dismiss Wriddhiman Saha, providing an early setback to the Gujarat Titans’ innings. Chahar’s contributions with the ball were instrumental in CSK’s dominant position in the match. Chennai Super Kings’ bowlers, led by Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, and Ravindra Jadeja, put up a stellar performance to dismantle Gujarat’s chase. The Gujarat batting lineup kept losing wickets at regular intervals, eventually surrendering the match to Chennai.
Chahar was particularly impressive, finishing his four-over quota with figures of 4/29. Theekshana and Jadeja also made significant contributions, each claiming two wickets.
Theekshana conceded 28 runs in his four overs, while Jadeja was even more economical, giving away only 18 runs. Their combined efforts played a crucial role in restricting Gujarat and securing a commanding position for Chennai Super Kings.
Vijay Shankar, initially left out of the starting playing XI, was brought back in the second innings as Gujarat’s Impact Player. Shankar had made a significant impact in the previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he played a crucial role alongside Shubman Gill in guiding Gujarat to a resounding victory.