The 2023 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end on Monday (May 29), with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets (DLS method) to lift the trophy for the fifth time.
It was a rain-marred affair at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where GT piled up a massive 214/4 in their allotted 20 overs and CSK chased down the revised target of 171 on the final delivery of the 15th over.
With 13 needed off the final over, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (15* off 6) smashed Mohit Sharma’s last two deliveries for a six and a boundary to seal the title for CSK.
After the game, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said CSK skipper MS Dhoni hitting the winning runs in the final would have been icing on the cake.
Dhoni came to bat at No.6 with CSK still needing 22 runs off 14 balls. Usually, the CSK captain finishes off such tasks with ease but he fell for a first-ball duck on this occasion.
Dhoni tried to play a lofted shot through the off side against Mohit Sharma but didn’t get the desired connection as David Miller took a simple catch inside the circle.
“If he had been there to hit the winning runs, it would have been like a cherry on the top. But at the end of the day, being the team-man that he is, he would be very happy. He might have got out first ball, but his team went on to win the title and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Whether you score hundreds, take five wickets if your team loses, there is no fun. But if you score zero or might be smashed for 40-50 runs, if your team wins, that is huge,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
In the post-match presentation, MS Dhoni said it won’t be easy for him to play one more IPL season but he will try his best to give a gift to his fans.
According to Gavaskar, the 41-year-old should take some more time before taking a call on his career.
“A tournament like this can take a heavy toll on your physical and mental energy. It’s only fair for any big decision to be taken that you give yourself a bit of time after the tournament is over. My belief is that he will give himself a bit of time, sit down with his near and dear ones, and have a chat about what could be done. So, we can certainly expect a decision sooner rather than later,” he added.
