The ever so consistent Chennai Super Kings cruised into the final oF TATA IPL 2023 as they beat Gujarat Titans.

Ruturaj Gaikwad took the lead with a splendid knock of 60 runs off 44 balls, setting a strong foundation for the team. Ambati Rayudu (17 off 9) and Ravindra Jadeja (22 off 16) contributed quick runs towards the end, propelling CSK to a competitive total of 172/7. Ravindra Jadeja (2/18) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/28) then displayed their bowling prowess, weaving a web of spin, pace, and bounce to dismantle the GT batting lineup. Their collective effort led CSK to bowl out GT for 157, securing their place in the IPL final for the 10th time.

During the chase, Gujarat Titans had a mixed start, losing Wriddhiman Saha within the Powerplay. They also had a chance to dismiss Shubman Gill, but Deepak Chahar failed to hold onto a tough catch at mid-on. Despite these setbacks, the opening pair managed to hit a few boundaries and a six. Hardik Pandya showcased his skills with a brilliant four through cover-point, and Gill added another impressive four with a flick off Tushar Deshpande’s bowling. However, in the sixth over, Maheesh Theekshana made an impact by dismissing GT captain Pandya, caught at backward point. GT reached 41/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

GT elevated Dasun Shanaka to the No.4 position, and he formed a stable partnership with Gill. While Gill maintained a steady scoring rate with occasional boundaries, Shanaka accelerated the innings by taking on Theekshana, hitting a four and a six. At the halfway mark, GT reached 72/2.

Unfortunately, Shanaka’s innings came to an end as he mistimed a reverse sweep, resulting in a catch at short third man off Jadeja’s bowling. GT kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with Jadeja dismissing David Miller shortly after. The pivotal moment arrived when MS Dhoni reintroduced Deepak Chahar, who had Gill (42 off 38) caught at deep square leg with a slower short ball. GT faced a setback in the 11th to 14th over phase, losing three wickets.

The downfall continued as Theekshana cleaned up Rahul Tewatia

Shankar and Rashid showcased their power-hitting skills in the next over, bowled by Deshpande, as they smashed two sixes and a four. This aggressive batting display added 19 runs to the scoreboard, leaving the equation at 39 runs needed off 18 balls.

The match took a dramatic turn when Ruturaj pulled off a sensational diving catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Shankar, who had scored 14 runs off 10 balls. The very next delivery resulted in a brilliant run-out by substitute fielder Subhranshu Senapati, as he hit the stumps directly to send Darshan Nalkande back to the pavilion. These moments of brilliance swung the momentum in favor of the Chennai Super Kings.

Pathirana bowled a splendid 18th over, conceding only 4 runs. With 35 runs required off 12 balls, Rashid Khan, who had scored 30 runs off 16 balls, managed to hit a four off Deshpande. However, two balls later, he hit a low full toss straight to the fielder at deep point. Deshpande’s over proved to be crucial as he gave away just 8 runs and claimed the important wicket of Rashid.

As the game entered its final over, the Gujarat Titans needed 27 runs to win. However, they could only manage 11 runs as Pathirana took the final wicket of Shami. This sparked wild celebrations in the stands as the Chennai Super Kings advanced to their 10th IPL final, more than any other team in the competition.

Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl. They made one change to their starting XI, with Darshan Nalkande replacing Yash Dayal.

On the other hand, the Chennai Super Kings fielded an unchanged eleven. Matheesha Pathirana, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, and Akash Singh were named as their substitutes.

Qualifier 1 began with an eventful start as Darshan Nalkande dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, caught at short mid-wicket. However, the joy was short-lived as Nalkande had overstepped, resulting in a NO BALL. Ruturaj took advantage of the free hit and smashed the next delivery over long-on for a six, followed by a four through covers. A couple of boundaries wide of third man added to the scoring, resulting in 14 runs off the over.

That Nalkande over was bookended by two excellent overs from Shami, who showcased discipline, accuracy, and a touch of swing to concede just 8 runs from his spell. Nalkande returned well in the following over, giving away 8 runs. Although he had conceded only four runs from the first five balls, Conway managed to find the gap through the off side and hit a four through point off the last delivery. Ruturaj and Conway didn’t allow the spinners to settle in, as Gaikwad lofted one over extra cover for a boundary off Rashid Khan. The duo accumulated 9 runs from the over. Moreover, they struck a couple of fours off Noor Ahmad, taking another 9 runs from the over, allowing CSK to reach 49/0 at the end of the Powerplay.

The duo continued their impressive form, notching up another partnership of 50 runs off just 38 balls, marking their ninth 50+ stand in the tournament so far. Ruturaj Gaikwad reached his half-century in style, taking 36 balls to achieve the feat and hitting a four over point. He followed it up with a fortunate boundary off an inside edge to fine leg, adding 12 runs to the total. Meanwhile, Conway contributed with a well-executed four over backward point off Noor Ahmad’s bowling, propelling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a score of 85/0 at the halfway mark.

Mohit Sharma finally managed to break the opening partnership, dismissing Ruturaj (60 off 44) as he mistimed a shot and was caught at long on. Gaikwad’s departure was soon followed by another setback for CSK as Noor Ahmad got the crucial wicket of Dube (1 off 3). Dube attempted a powerful swing but was deceived by a wrong’un, resulting in his stumps being knocked over. GT tightened their grip on the match, putting a brake on the scoring rate. However, Conway received a lucky break when Saha failed to hold on to a difficult catch behind the stumps off Rashid Khan’s bowling.

Conway and Rahane then took charge against Nalkande, with Conway benefitting from an outside edge that evaded the wicketkeeper, resulting in a fortunate boundary. Rahane, on the other hand, flicked a delivery over deep square leg for a six. However, Nalkande made a strong comeback, dismissing Rahane (17 off 10) caught at point off the very next ball.

Rayudu joined the crease and immediately made an impact by smashing the first ball for a four over extra cover. However, CSK suffered a blow as Conway (40 off 34) fell on the following delivery, caught at deep mid-wicket by Shami. Boundaries became scarce in the 16th and 17th overs, with only 12 runs added to the total. Finally, Rayudu ended the drought by hitting a six over deep mid-wicket off Rashid Khan after a wait of 16 balls. However, the Afghan spinner retaliated by dismissing Rayudu (17 off 9) on the very next ball, as he miscued a shot to deep mid-wicket.

Jadeja provided some fireworks in the penultimate over, lofting a four over extra cover off Mohit Sharma. However, Mohit struck back two balls later, capturing the wicket of CSK’s captain at extra cover with a slower ball, much to the disappointment of the crowd at Chepauk.

Jadeja and Moeen Ali added some valuable runs in the final over, hitting a four and a six, respectively, to accumulate 15 runs. Unfortunately for Jadeja (22 off 16), he was bowled off the last ball of the over. As a result, CSK concluded their innings with a challenging total.

In the second innings, GT introduced Vijay Shankar as their Impact Player, replacing Mohit Sharma, while CSK brought in Matheesha Pathirana as their Impact Player in the first over of the second innings.