Chennai win fifth IPL title to send M.S. Dhoni out with a bang

Chennai chased down their revised target in a rain-hit IPL final which went past 1.30 am local time as superstar M.S. Dhoni celebrated his swansong in style.

Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and four off the last two balls as Chennai Super Kings edged out Gujarat Titans to win a record-equalling fifth IPL title as M.S. Dhoni revealed he will be playing one more year.

Chennai chased down their revised target of 171 in 15 overs with five wickets to spare in a rain-hit IPL final which went past 1.30 am local time on a reserve day in Ahmedabad following a washout on Sunday.

New Zealand’s Devon Conway led the chase with his 25-ball 47 before cameos from Ajinkya Rahane (27) and Shivam Dube, who hit an unbeaten 32, set the stage for Jadeja’s heroics.

Needing 13 off the final over, Mohit Sharma bowled four good balls before Jadeja hit the winning runs to trigger wild celebrations at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.

Chennai Super Kings teammates MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja celebrate after winning the 2023 IPL Final. Picture: Getty Images

Chennai won the title for the fifth time to go level with Mumbai Indians.

Playing his 250th IPL match, Dhoni got out for a first-ball duck as he went back to a stunned silence, but he had the last laugh in his 10th appearance in the final as Chennai captain.

Rain forced players off the ground when Chennai were four without loss after three balls of their innings.

The downpour lasted for about 15 minutes but covers came off from one of the pitches which got damp and the groundstaff worked for over two hours to get the field ready for play.

Fireworks explode over the Narendra Modi Stadium at the end of the 2023 Indian Premier League Final. Picture: AFP

Sai Sudharsan smashed 96 off 47 balls to guide Gujarat, a team which won the crown in their debut season last year in the T20 competition and topped the table in this edition, to 214-4.

In-form Gujarat opener Shubman Gill hit a 20-ball 39.

Gill, fresh from his third century this season in the last playoff and who leads the batting chart with 890 runs, was dropped on three when Deepak Chahar spilled an easy catch off fast bowler Tushar Deshpande.

The opener smashed Deshpande for three straight boundaries in the next over and kept up the attack with regular hits to the fence before Dhoni’s lightning quick glovework sent back the batsman, stumped off Jadeja.

Fellow opener Wriddhiman Saha made 54 and put on 64 runs with Sudharsan, who took charge after his partner’s departure

CRAZY SCENES AS RAIN CAUSES IPL FINAL CROWD CHAOS

Heavy rain and thunderstorms in Ahmedabad on Sunday forced the Indian Premier League final between holders Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings into a reserve day for the first time.

Rain began 35 minutes before the toss and went on for over two hours and 40 minutes before it stopped and raised hopes for the game to begin at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.

But a second downpour washed out the day, leaving thousands of fans, who had taken shelter in the covered areas of the 132,000-seater stadium, disappointed.

The ground was a sorry soggy sight when officials called off play for the day and a message on the giant screen, for the fans, read “please keep your physical tickets safe!”.

The action will begin on Monday with an IPL final heading for a reserve day for the first time in its 16-year-long history.

Spectators take shelter from rain under the stadium.

A sign confirming the final has been moved to a reserve day.

The weather department of the western city predicts a slim (10 per cent) chance for evening rains on Monday as well.

The match is believed to be Chennai skipper M. S. Dhoni’s last as a player and fans turned up in numbers wearing the yellow jersey of the superstar cricketer.

Chennai will be aiming for a record-equalling fifth title to go level with IPL powerhouse Mumbai Indians, led by all-format India captain Rohit Sharma.

Dhoni has led his team to their 10th IPL final including four trophies and five runners-up finishes.

Gujarat, captained by Hardik Pandya, have extended their fairytale journey which began with a title win in their debut season last year at the same venue.

The T20 competition, which began in 2008, has grown into the world’s richest cricket tournament and a huge revenue earner for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Cricket fans take refuge under a plastic sheet during heavy rains as they leave the IPL final.