With Pant and Iyer out and with Axar unlikely to play, a huge portion of the team’s batting has effectively been wiped off

ICC World Test Championship, 2023

India

Australia

The lower-order has bailed India out often — but that might not happen in the final

India have had the opportunity to test the water in England more recently than Australia, but have they learnt a thing?

Rohit Sharma

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammad Shami

Shardul Thakur

Shubman Gill

Cheteshwar Pujara

Virat Kohli

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravindra Jadeja

Axar Patel

Third seamer, sloppy slip and more: learnings and conundrums for India

In this Newsletter, we take you through all important cricket updates, providing a one-stop destination to satiate the cricket nerd in you

Sai Sudharsan

MS Dhoni

Ibrahim Zadran

Ollie Pope

Ben Stokes

Brendon McCullum

Shweta Sehrawat

Kieron Pollard

Sunil Narine

Nicholas Pooran

Indian Premier League, 2023

Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka, 3 ODI Series, 2022

Ireland tour of England,One-off Tour Match, 2023

Chennai Super Kings

Afghanistan

England

Ireland

Trinbago Knight Riders

The Cricket.com Weekly - Edition 33

We analyze how Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis emerge as the most tormenting fast bowling duo to play Test cricket since 1990

Wasim Akram

Waqar Younis

Mitchell Starc

Josh Hazlewood

Dale Steyn

James Anderson

Stuart Broad

Vernon Philander

Allan Donald

Morne Morkel

Shaun Pollock

Courtney Walsh

Sir Curtly Ambrose

Pakistan

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis - The most deadly bowling duo

Josh Tongue holds his place following an impressive display against Ireland in the ongoing Test

Australia tour of England, 2023

Fit Anderson returns as England name squad for first two Ashes Tests

The Delhi Capitals batter did indeed turn his strength into his weakness

Prithvi Shaw

Delhi Capitals

Prithvi Shaw plays himself out of national contention with terrible IPL 2023

Saturday, Saturday, it is time for the newsletter, Saturday, Saturday 🔔🔔All you cricket freaks, we all know how eagerly you are waiting for our weekly newsletter to catch up on all the missed cricketing action, right from the IPL final to Afghanistan thrashing Sri Lanka 😲😲Without wasting much of your time, let&rsquo;s deep dive into all the cricketing action from the past week, where even the rain god made a crucial appearance in Yellow.CSK are ✋time IPL championsLET THAT SINK IN. Chennai Super Kings are a five-time IPL champions, no more of that Mumbai Indians 5 - 4 Chennai Super Kings nonsense. Oh boy, it was perhaps a GOAT-ed IPL final in the competition&#39;s history. Where else but the IPL would you see a three-day final that would see so much ebbs and flow?&nbsp;Gujarat started the game sublimely, thanks to their new talent on the block, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/no-more-just-a-prodigy-sai-sudharsan-aims-to-fulfill-potential-1677232237243" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sai Sudharsan</a>. He&rsquo;s a southpaw and packs a heavy 👊 with the cricketing blade of his. What he did against CSK was worthy of an IPL title, and even one of India&rsquo;s all-time greats, Ravichandran Ashwin, was a testimony to the young boy&rsquo;s talent.<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 297px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1663205197005438976&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fthe-cricketcom-weekly-edition-33-632023-1685787456465&sessionId=d4c555394adf57e9b20ea659cc28de04eea03ad5&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1663205197005438976"></iframe></div>But even his 96 couldn&rsquo;t beat the determined CSK. While there wasn&rsquo;t any notable single contribution from a batter in the Yellow, the collective effort in pursuing 171 made them five-time champions.&nbsp;Perhaps, the most fitting of it all was that <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3850/ravindra-jadeja/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravindra Jadeja</a> got to finish things. Sweet, isn&rsquo;t it?&nbsp;Gujarat dominate 🏅but failed at the silverwareIt has now become a habit. A good one, both for us and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66818/shubman-gill/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shubman Gill</a>. After scoring a scintillating century in the second Qualifier against Mumbai Indians, Gill had a subdued final, undone by a brilliant piece of work from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3676/ms-dhoni/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MS Dhoni</a>, who dismissed him for a 20-ball 39. While he wasn&rsquo;t as smooth in the final as in the tournament, with just seven fours, Gill&rsquo;s tournament was truly a piece of art.&nbsp;<a href="http://Shubman%20Gill%3A%20The%20Prince%20that%20was%20promised" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read: Shubman Gill: The Prince that was promised</a>Gill ended the tournament as the highest run-scorer, with 890 runs averaging a high 59.33 and a strike rate of 157.80. Perhaps, high time that he makes the natural progression from a prince to you know what?&nbsp;Seldom do you see a team dominate the bowling charts like how Gujarat did this season. <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/28994/mohammad-shami/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohammed Shami</a> ended the season as the highest wicket-taker, with 28 wickets, with a resurgent Mohit Sharma and an ever-dominant Rashid Khan ending up short on 27. It is a story that will always be remembered, but if only they could manage silverware alongside that.&nbsp;India or Australia, who will win the WTC final?IPL, you say? Nah, we have moved past that. Hahah, it is the best format of the sport, Test cricket, at its raw best. India and Australia deservedly have made it to the World Test Championship final to fight for the Mace. But there can only be one winner.&nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RzPmGx8XvuY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Australia have just one injury concern, and that&rsquo;s hovering above Josh Hazlewood. But apart from that, they have a squad that is fit and raring to go. On the other hand, India are riddled with injuries. You name it, and that department has one or the other key personnel missing. There&rsquo;s no KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, or Rishabh Pant, but there&rsquo;s hope.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/usage-of-third-seamer-sloppy-slip-and-more-learnings-for-india-from-england-tour-622023-1685714104829" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read: Third seamer, sloppy slip and more: learnings and conundrums for India</a>Also, whichever team wins the WTC final, they will have all the ICC 🏆🏆 in their cabinet. Bleed Blue or dominant Kangaroos?<h3>International Cricket</h3>England continue Baz-balling opponents 🤺🤺Normalcy has been restored in England, with Brendon McCullum&rsquo;s team Baz-balling their way against Ireland. While on Saturday, the game&#39;s result is yet to be determined, it is advantage England all the way, thanks to <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/england-run-riot-before-ireland-suffer-tongue-lashing-622023-1685731955105" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ollie Pope&rsquo;s scintillating double-century</a>. First, it was an onslaught from Ben Duckett (182 off 178 balls) before Pope completed his double-century (205 off 208) to take England&rsquo;s first innings total to 524 in just 82.4 overs.&nbsp;That&rsquo;s at a fair clip of nearly 6.4, and to think of it as a Test match is astonishing. Ireland scored just 172 on day one and are stuttering at 97/3, still trailing the clash by 255 runs. So, it is only a matter of time before England wrap up the win.&nbsp;A Zadran a day keeps Sri Lanka awayIbrahim Zadran was the show&#39;s star as Afghanistan <a href="https://www.cricket.com/match-score/226857/summary/1st-odi-afghanistan-tour-of-sri-lanka-3-odi-series-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">notched up a stunning win over Sri Lanka</a> in the first ODI on Friday (June 2). While Zadran fell short of a deserved century, his knock of a run-a-ball 98 was enough to seal a win for the Rashid Khan-less Afghanistan side. After reducing the hosts to a total of just 268, Afghanistan made light work of the total.&nbsp;<h3>Women&rsquo;s Cricket</h3>Sehrawat to lead India A in Emerging Women&#39;s Asia Cup<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/sehrawat-to-lead-india-a-in-emerging-womens-asia-cup-622023-1685688997904" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shweta Sehrawat</a>, the leading run-getter at the 2023 U-19 Women&#39;s World Cup in South Africa, will captain India A in the Emerging Women&#39;s Asia Cup in Hong Kong, starting from June 12 to 21.The squad also comprises Soumya Tiwari, G Trisha, Titas Sadhu, Parshavi Chopra and Mannat Kashyap, who were also part of India&rsquo;s triumph in South Africa earlier this year, have also been picked up in the squad. Shreyanka Patil and Kanika Ahuja, too have been picked in the squad.&nbsp;<h3>Franchise cricket</h3>TKR retain Narine, Pollard and Pooran<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685787572876-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Apart from the obvious retention that is the skipper Pollard himself, TKR have also retained the other three mega stars in their side &mdash; Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran. In addition, TKR have also retained left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and young seamer Jayden Seales.&nbsp;Articles in FocusDreams are aligned, and in just a year, it has been aligned in such a way that two superstars, Dhoni and Lionel Messi, have lifted a trophy that many didn&rsquo;t believe they would. Read on how <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/ms-dhonis-csk-do-it-again-this-time-even-better-5302023-1685406780410" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chennai braved the odds, and Dhoni mastered the odds</a> in their fifth IPL win right here.Rayudu&rsquo;s final two games in a CSK shirt <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/from-81-against-rcb-to-100-against-srh-feat-rayudus-top-knocks-5292023-1685368076873" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">were a microcosm of his IPL career</a>, wherein he was indispensable though it seldom seemed that way. Fitting, then, that Rayudu signed off by playing the most Rayudu knock of all time. Anirudh Suresh beautifully sums up <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/ambati-rayudu-duly-bids-adieu-in-the-most-rayudu-fashion-imaginable-5302023-1685420266747" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rayudu&rsquo;s Last Dance.</a>Ishan Kishan&rsquo;s IPL 2023 was good but not good enough, don&rsquo;t think any other title would do justice to his season. Here is <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/ishan-kishans-ipl-2023-was-good-but-not-good-enough-612023-1685595797462" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Worah painting a picture as to why.</a>Now for all the post-IPL stuff, here is a list of them for you to catch upBest spinners in IPL 2023? <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/spinner-spinner-everywhere-but-who-will-make-it-in-5302023-1685434787703" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Here&rsquo;s Akshay explaining that segment</a>Tactical blunders? <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/ipl-2023s-biggest-tactical-blunders-srhs-comedy-of-errors-vs-lsg-takes-the-cake-5292023-1685346537833" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anirudh knows quite a few right here.&nbsp;</a>How about India&rsquo;s 2022 WC squad, did they perform in the 2023 IPL? <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/how-indian-stars-from-the-2022-t20-world-cup-performed-in-ipl-2023-5312023-1685519328300" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aakash sums that up.</a>A video to end on a high<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-rRsieZhrIw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Virat KohliIn IPL 2023: 639 runs, 53.25 average, 139.82 strike-rate, six 50s, two 100sAfter three below-par seasons, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3993/virat-kohli/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a> emerged rejuvenated with another 600-run season. But this time, it wasn&rsquo;t a 600-run season with an underwhelming strike-rate; it was one where he threatened to take the attack to the opposition and showed excellent attacking intent in the powerplay.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685533649482-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In fact, it was his second-best IPL season by runs, and his numbers against pace were equally incredible, with a strike-rate of 163.2, his highest in an IPL season. However, familiar problems resurfaced this year when he struggled against spin. For the top-three batters, only Mitchell Marsh and Wriddhiman Saha had a lower strike-rate than Kohli (111.6).&nbsp;In short, Kohli aced against pace and continued to struggle against spin.India&#39;s team status: MaybeRohit SharmaIn IPL 2023: 332 runs, 20.75 average, 132.80 strike-rate, two 50s, two ducksUnlike Kohli, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3852/rohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a> could not arrest his slump this season. In the 2023 IPL, Rohit scored 332 runs and got past the 50-run mark twice, but his performance when it mattered was underwhelming. Not just that, during the course of the season, the right-handed opener also got to 16 ducks, the most for any batter in IPL history before Dinesh Karthik took over.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685518849297-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In short, the right-hander endured a tough run and had an average of 20.75 and a strike-rate of 132.8. On average, the MI opener had faced 15.6 deliveries before getting out, his lowest in any IPL season.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: NoMohammed ShamiIn IPL 2023: 28 wickets, 18.6 average, 8 Economy, two four-wicket haulsSince the 2019 IPL, Shami has ensured that he&rsquo;s been consistent. Last T20 World Cup, the right-arm pacer was a late replacement call-up for the injured Jasprit Bumrah, and that was heavily debated. But this season, Shami ended all those debates with a display of the highest kind.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685548365954-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In IPL 2023, Shami picked up 28 wickets, averaging 18.6. Not just that, he also picked up two crucial four-wicket hauls, in Gujarat&rsquo;s daunting run to a second straight IPL final. In the powerplay stage, the 32-year-old picked up 17 wickets, bowling 152 dot-balls, the most for any bowler, and by a mile.&nbsp;Never before in an IPL season had any bowler picked up as many wickets in the powerplay. In all, if India does persist with Shami in the shortest format, it would now be deserving.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: YesHardik PandyaIn IPL 2023: 346 runs, 31.45 average, 136.8 strike-rate, two 50sAs a captain, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya</a> was yet again at his impressive best, pulling out stuff from thin air and bringing out the best of yesteryear&#39;s IPL star, Mohit Sharma. Alongside that, the smooth transitioning of Noor Ahmad and Josh Little into the setup was perhaps a masterstroke. Time and again, his trust in his team was evident, be it Vijay Shankar getting an extended run or Sai Sudharsan answering all his calls in the IPL final.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685518270503-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">But as an all-rounder, Hardik&rsquo;s season left a lot to be desired. Neither was he as effective as a batter, with 346 runs at an average of 31 nor was he penetrative with the ball, picking up just three wickets in the season. He averaged 76 with the ball and had a strike-rate of 50. That&rsquo;s where the concern lies, not in his leadership abilities.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: YesKL RahulIn IPL 2023: 274 runs, 34.25 average, 113.2 strike-rate, two 50s<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/60122/kl-rahul/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KL Rahul&rsquo;s</a> IPL career went from bad to worse in 2023. Not only did Lucknow botch up a few games, but Rahul&rsquo;s batting display ensured he was still heavily criticised. There are multiple occasions in which his batting was the big difference between Lucknow losing two points and gaining two points.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685533540048-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Leaving those aside, his batting average 34.25 was the lowest for him in any IPL season. His strike-rate in the middle-overs - 111.5 - was the third-lowest amongst all batters. Alongside that, there was a dot-ball percentage of 38, his highest since 2013. In all, Rahul had a forgettable IPL, and the only hope remains that the selectors don&rsquo;t forget that.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: NoRavichandran AshwinIn IPL 2023: 14 wickets, 26.3 average, 7.5 economy<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4555/ravichandran-ashwin/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravichandran Ashwin</a> grew from strength to strength in this IPL. While Washington Sundar was the firm favourite for team India, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a big surprise if Ashwin is considered a level-up over the other off-spinner. After the 2019 IPL with Punjab Kings, where he picked up 15 wickets, this is Ashwin&rsquo;s second-best IPL since 2015.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685533732965-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Ashwin is in an elite company, conceding under 7 RPO against left-handers in this IPL. Twice in the season, both against Chennai, Ashwin turned back the clock with some scintillating performances. However, his batting wasn&rsquo;t what he would have wanted. That, though, might not stop India from picking him in the squad.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: YesHarshal PatelIn IPL 2023: 14 wickets, 32.4 average, 9.7 economyIf you ask <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/5407/harshal-patel/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harshal Patel</a> how his IPL season was, he would openly say &ldquo;underwhelming&rdquo;, and it was exactly that. He picked up 14 wickets this year, but all of that came with an average of 32.4, and an economy of 9.7.&nbsp;In this season, the right-arm seamer conceded 16 wides and bowled five no-balls. Whilst he picked up wickets regularly in the previous few years, this year, he had a strike-rate of 20.1. In all, there are high chances that he won&rsquo;t be in contention anytime soon. &nbsp;India&#39;s team status: NoBhuvneshwar KumarIn IPL 2023: 16 wickets, 26.6 average, 8.3 economy, one five-wicket haulBhuvneshwar Kumar&rsquo;s T20I career has passed, but the 33-year-old would have hoped for a great IPL season to be back in the reckoning. Even that didn&rsquo;t happen as Bhuvneshwar would have anticipated, with 16 wickets in the season, and the only silver lining in the season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer was his five-wicket haul against the eventual finalists, Gujarat Titans.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685518570729-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Not just that, since his 2012 IPL season with Pune Warriors India, this is the first time the right-arm seamer conceded over 7.5 RPO in the powerplay phase. But compared to all the other years, he picked up seven wickets in that phase. Overall, not the IPL he would have expected and not the IPL that will get him in contention.India&#39;s team status: NoArshdeep SinghIn IPL 2023: 17 wickets, 29 average, 9.70 economy rate, one four-wicket haul<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/67905/arshdeep-singh/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arshdeep Singh</a> picked up 17 wickets in the 2023 IPL. But that&rsquo;s only half of the story. The other half is his economy rate of 9.7 was his worst in any IPL season since 2020, after his debut year in the competition. There were some contests - like against Mumbai Indians - where the opposition unit had no clue about his consistent yorkers.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685518779730-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">But in his last seven matches, Arshdeep averaged 72.3 with the ball, showing a real concern over his form. While his left-handedness will tilt the scales in his favour, the emergence of other left-arm seamers in the competition will come as a stiff task for Arshdeep.&nbsp;Not the best IPL but not the worst too.India&#39;s team status: MaybeDinesh KarthikIn IPL 2023: 140 runs, 11.67 average, 134.6 strike-rate, four ducksOne of the most disappointing players in this year&rsquo;s IPL was Dinesh Karthik. The Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper batter who turned heads around last year with his swashbuckling batting was a mere formality this year. Both in terms of batting average (11.67) and runs (140), Karthik had a season to forget.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685533962012-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Amongst all batters, he had the lowest average against pacers (9.57) and was dismissed seven times. For a finisher like him, only 18 boundaries in the season is a declining return, and there are high chances he has played his last game in India colors.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: No<h3>Outlier</h3>Suryakumar YadavIn IPL 2023: 605 runs, 43.21 average, 181.14 strike-rate, five 50s, one 100After an amazing last few seasons of IPL, the world had already seen the best of Suryakumar Yadav. Or at least that&rsquo;s what they believed. Suryakumar turned that perception around, and said to the world, &ldquo;This is just the beginning of greater things.&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/cause-youre-a-sky-cause-youre-a-sky-full-of-stars-5122023-1683921401059" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Also Read: &#39;Cause you&#39;re a SKY, &#39;cause you&#39;re a SKY full of stars</a>The right-hander did not have the best of starts, with 59 runs off 44 balls, averaging 14.75. However, in the last ten matches, there was none as good. Suryakumar pummeled 482 runs, at an average of 60.25 with a staggering strike-rate of 184.7. His only IPL century came against a strong Gujarat bowling unit, which showed his quality.&nbsp;Suryakumar is only getting better.&nbsp;India&#39;s team status: Yes<h3>Who makes it to the setup?<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685558734156-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></h3>Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Did the batch of 2022 carry on their form in the 2023 IPL or did they crash down a whole new level?

Hardik Pandya

KL Rahul

Harshal Patel

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Arshdeep Singh

Suryakumar Yadav

Rohit, Rahul disappoint, Kohli shows resurgence, Ashwin back in contention

Gujarat Titans went down agonisingly in the summit clash of the Indian Premier League as <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3850/ravindra-jadeja/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravindra Jadeja</a> scored 10 runs off two deliveries in the final over to power Chennai over the line in a rain-curtailed game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;After being asked to bat first, the home team were powered to 214 runs in the first innings courtesy off a brilliant knock by <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/69500/sai-sudharsan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sai Sudharsan</a>. The southpaw scored 96 off 47 deliveries, studded with six boundaries and eight massive sixes to propel the team to a formidable total.&nbsp;&quot;I am very happy and grateful that I could contribute to the team but a bit sad that we could not end up on the winning side. In the last game, I realised I was a little bit under pressure but realised that being calmer is a lot better and backed my ability,&quot; he said in the post-match press conference. &nbsp;&quot;I am learning a lot from Shubman, and he is playing at his best in the tournament. When Shubman got out, it was all about taking the game a little deeper and keeping a check on the scoreboard as well. I was trying to take my chances and take the game deep as well.&quot;&quot;I worked a lot more on the mental aspect, how to get ready, how to be aware or how to decide what to do in that situation. I have worked on that a little bit and obviously in the skill part as well,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Vikram Solanki, the Director of Cricket for the Titans, credited his team for the fight and congratulated Chennai for holding their nerve in the pressure situation and emerging as champions.&nbsp;&quot;The curtailed match may have made a difference, but I&#39;m not going to take anything away from CSK. They were the champions, and they deserve to be the champions. We did all we could, and we took the game to the absolute last ball.&quot;&quot;The game kept shifting in the second innings. We were quite outstanding with the bat whether the conditions changed or not, that&#39;s a conversation you can keep having, but I&#39;m not going to take anything away from what the side has achieved.&quot;&quot;We can be very proud of what we have been able to achieve this year as a team, and we have played consistent cricket that has helped us top the table and come this close in the tournament,&quot; he added.&nbsp;One of the reasons why the Titans struggled to defend 171 runs in 15 overs was the performance of their ace spinner, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/65748/rashid-khan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rashid Khan</a>. The leg spinner conceded 44 runs in three overs without scalping any wickets, which led to their downfall.&nbsp;Despite a bad outing, Solanki backed the Afghan spinner to bounce back and credited him for his immense contribution to the success of the Titans since their inception.&nbsp;&quot;Today&#39;s performance was certainly not Rashid&#39;s best, but sometimes that happens in sports. He is a wonderful team member and an outstanding team cricketer. He has played a huge part in the last two seasons that we have had and helped us in reaching the finals,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Titans Director of Cricket also backed Rashid Khan to bounce back after a dismal performance where he conceded 44 runs in three overs

Rashid Khan

Gujarat Titans

We did all we could to take the game to the last ball: Vikram Solanki 

Chennai Super Kings recorded a five-wicket win against Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to clinch their fifth IPL title.&nbsp;In pursuit of 171 runs in 15 overs as the game was curtailed due to relentless showers after Gujarat&#39;s first innings, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/13177/devon-conway/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Devon Conway</a> and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66584/ruturaj-gaikwad/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ruturaj Gaikwad</a> forged a 74-run stand for the opening wicket in less than seven overs to set the foundation for the side.&nbsp;The former Kiwi skipper shared his views on the game and the strategies deployed by the Super Kings in the summit clash. &quot;We deliberated hard about if we had to look up at the sky or down at the wicket, as the pitch was dry,&quot; he said in the post-match press conference.&nbsp;&quot;It was a tough day to get tactics right, as we thought there was going to be some showers around. We were a bit off the mark with our bowling and fielding, and I thought 215 was a pretty good score, and I thought halfway through the innings, the rain changed the momentum.&quot;&quot;We felt 171 on that pitch with 15 overs was pretty gettable, and the way the batters began was amazing. We were pretty shocked about the fielding, but the first four to six overs gave us the belief,&quot; he added.&nbsp;The Head Coach of the side also praised <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3850/ravindra-jadeja/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravindra Jadeja</a> for his heroics in the final as the southpaw smashed a six and a boundary off the penultimate delivery to guide the team over the line.&nbsp;&quot;His performance was a pretty good one today. It&#39;s probably been a difficult 18 months where the captaincy was difficult and the injury was difficult.&quot;&quot;It took a bit of time for him to be out of the game and come reinvigorated in the Test game and then reintegrate into CSK. He plays a great role with the ball. But we have so much firepower that sometimes we use him lower down the order. But something had to give.&quot;&quot;MS has been really supportive and proactive in getting him up there, and today he repaid that faith. The six, in particular, off a ball that was very close to perfect, was defining, and then a good left-hander straight drive through fine leg was a great way to finish it.&quot;&quot;I couldn&#39;t be more happy for him. Yeah, there has been some frustration at times, but he is a gun player. No.1 ranked player, and today he delivered,&quot; he added.&nbsp;The 50-year-old also credited<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4176/ambati-rayudu/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Ambati Rayudu</a> on a successful IPL career as the right-handed batter bid adieu to the tournament with a quickfire 8-ball 19 that inched them towards their title.&nbsp;&quot;Ambati Rayudu has been an absolute legend. I rate him so highly as a batter, and that over today, three balls against Mohit Sharma, who is one of the most in-form death bowlers, the way Rayudu hit him for 6, 4, 6 was pure class.&quot;&quot;He will leave a hole, and there&rsquo;s no doubt about it. But, the game keeps moving, and he&rsquo;s identified that mentally and physically and even looking around the room that it&rsquo;s time to go. We respected that.&quot;&quot;For him to go out like that was pretty emotional with the group and for him as well. I am really pleased for him,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Head Coach of Chennai also praised Ambati Rayudu for his contributions to the Super Kings and the IPL

Ambati Rayudu

Devon Conway

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Jadeja is a gun player and he delivered in the final: Stephen Fleming

Perhaps when <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4176/ambati-rayudu/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ambati Rayudu</a> woke up on Monday, he would have dreamt of signing off in style, securing the &lsquo;Player of the Match&rsquo; award by striking a fifty. The same fantasy might have even involved him envisioning hitting the winning runs, landing CSK their fifth IPL title.Beautiful as it would have been, though, such an ending wouldn&rsquo;t have been poetic. For the simple reason of it being &lsquo;out of character&rsquo; for Rayudu&rsquo;s IPL career.On Monday, Rayudu&rsquo;s final knock as an IPL player lasted all of 8 balls.&nbsp;Not what he&rsquo;d have wanted, but the sporting gods had successfully done it: they&rsquo;d somehow conjured up the perfect script imaginable, giving Rayudu arguably the best-ever character arc witnessed in the IPL.The biggest team man, the forever silent warrior, bid goodbye to his career lifting the title for a record sixth time, playing a knock that embodied his IPL career, and everything he, as a player, was all about: selflessness and adaptability.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685419857466-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">Years ago, Harsha Bhogle on air uttered an iconic line while talking about the sheer unselfishness of Rahul Dravid.&nbsp;&quot;Ask him to walk on water and he&#39;ll ask, &#39;how many kilometres&quot;? said Harsha, imaginatively highlighting the extent to which Dravid was always willing to go for the team&#39;s sake.Rayudu is no different.&nbsp;In his eight seasons with Mumbai Indians, Rayudu batted in seven different positions. He started off as a lower middle-order batter in 2010 before being promoted to No.3 in 2011. He started the 2012 season at No.4 but ended it as a finisher, predominantly batting at No.5 and No.6.&nbsp;He was moved up and down the order for the next three seasons before ultimately finishing his MI career batting at No.3 and No.4.A move to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ensued in 2018 and in his maiden season &mdash; which was spectacular, 602 runs at a SR of nearly 150 &mdash; he was asked to bat at three different positions.But though Rayudu found enormous success opening the batting in 2018 &mdash; a role he&rsquo;d done only once in his seven seasons at Mumbai &mdash; striking 396 runs at 44/147, the 2019 season saw him get moved to No.4 after just four innings to accommodate Faf du Plessis.&nbsp;Between 2020 and 2023, he batted eight times at No.3, 18 times at No.4, 20 times at No.5 and 10 times at No.6 or below.Amidst all this, he also kept wickets not once, not twice, but 20 times between 2010 and 2019, across franchises.Stability is everything in T20 cricket, and yet in Rayudu&rsquo;s dictionary, there&rsquo;s been no space for the term.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685419981548-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">In most cases, a player being shuffled up and down the order is a clear sign of teams struggling to find the ideal role to get the best out of the individual but Rayudu is an outlier.He finds himself performing different roles every other season because his adaptability is obscenely good. His sides know that he can pull off any role without a hitch.Every startup in India has a person who has their feet dipped in every department because of their efficiency.&nbsp;Rayudu is that person. A victim of his own success.&nbsp;The constant chopping and changing has meant that Rayudu&rsquo;s numbers have taken a hit. He hangs his boots with his overall career average of just over 28. Not an impressive strike rate either: 127.54.But the qualities he possesses as a batter, both tangible and intangible, have made his &mdash; at times &mdash; fluctuating numbers a matter of trivial concern for his franchises.&nbsp;If Rayudu was only as good as his overall numbers suggest &mdash; 28.23 / 127.54 &mdash; he would not have played exclusively for the two most successful franchises in the competition. They, too, would not have trusted him year after year, season after season, putting immeasurable faith.Both CSK and MI backed him to the hilt because they knew Rayudu was a player worth investing in.***CSK fans, over the years, have learnt time and again that Dhoni and the management&rsquo;s judgment is almost always right, and the &lsquo;process&rsquo; never lets them down. Case in point Rayudu himself in 2021.&nbsp;Several CSK fans wanted Rayudu gone for good after back-to-back poor seasons, but the right-hander ended up playing a huge part in the Super Kings winning IPL 2021, batting more aggressively than ever.But despite the Rayudu redemption arc of 2021, the fans were still unwilling to give Dhoni and the management the benefit of doubt this season regarding the 37-year-old.The Super Kings made the playoffs as the second-placed side, but many fans wanted Rayudu gone.&nbsp;The frustration was understandable.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685420147007-articleimg" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">When there&rsquo;s a 37-year-old &lsquo;impact sub&rsquo; making no impact in 14 games coming on the back of a poor 2022 season, frustration ought to build amongst the fans.&nbsp;There was logic in the argument that, when it came to Rayudu, CSK were&nbsp;&lsquo;CSK-ing for the sake of CSK-ing&rsquo;.Clearly, though, Dhoni and the management knew something that the fans and the general public did not.For come the playoffs, the world witnessed a different Rayudu altogether: 17 balls, 36 runs, three sixes, two match-winning cameos.One of the cameos being a Hall of Fame, title-winning one, in which he took down the opponent&rsquo;s best bowler with his side having their backs against the wall.&nbsp;***It is debatable as to whether CSK won the Qualifier 1 and the final *only* because of Rayudu&rsquo;s cameos. But know this: they would certainly have lost both encounters without the 37-year-old doing what he did.That way, Rayudu&rsquo;s final two games in a CSK shirt were a microcosm of his IPL career, wherein he was indispensable though it seldom seemed that way.&nbsp;Fitting, then, that Rayudu signed off by playing the most Rayudu knock of all time in the most Rayudu season of all time.He can indeed smile for the rest of his life, for a perfect end like this is rare, even in books and movies.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The sporting gods conjured up the most perfect script imaginable, giving Rayudu arguably the best ever character arc witnessed in the IPL

Ambati Rayudu duly bids adieu in the most Rayudu fashion imaginable

22 off 15 balls, the equation was fairly simple.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4176/ambati-rayudu/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ambati Rayudu</a> couldn&rsquo;t have timed his innings in a better fashion, for he was walking away for one last time in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after winning five IPL titles. But one more?<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685405912585-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">When someone gets out on 19 off eight balls, there is always some palpable tension in the dressing room, especially in a final. But the man that was padded up and made the long journey down to embrace the love of the fans was none other than Thala, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3676/ms-dhoni/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MS Dhoni</a>.&nbsp;It was almost like the script couldn&rsquo;t have been written better.&nbsp;Over the years, Dhoni has evolved, both as a player and a captain. As years of his cricketing life went by, the restriction - of age caught up with him. But the fans were in denial, they believed that he was forever young, and they also believed that he could wield his bat around like a magic wand. And just in a span of a few hits would turn everything around.Dhoni knew that. Especially this season, more than ever. Every time he walked out, he painted the city Yellow. It didn&rsquo;t matter where the ground was, it didn&rsquo;t matter if it was miles away like in Pune or in the heart of the city like in Chennai. All that mattered was there was always a heart at the stadium for Dhoni.He was literally the heartbeat of the IPL.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685406879946-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Up against him was <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63341/mohit-sharma/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mohit Sharma</a>, someone who had grown in stature under the tactical acumen of the now 41-year-old, Dhoni.&nbsp;Mohit almost knew what he was up against, he knew giving Dhoni any sort of sniff would mean that he was digging his own grave. The crowd in Ahmedabad didn&rsquo;t care about Mohit or co, it was Mahi that mattered.He walked out in a similar fashion as he always does, donning charisma up his sleeves and ice-calm brutality up his bat. He looked up for once, almost like asking the gods, one last time, let&rsquo;s do it. That was exactly how it was, and this season he understand his vulnerability more than ever, he was satisfied with cameos.&nbsp;Nearly 90,000 people jumped up and down.&nbsp;The match was already in its third day.&nbsp;You wouldn&rsquo;t have blamed the crowd if they had left. Mohit ran to bowl, and a few seconds later, there was pin-drop silence.&nbsp;You could literally have dropped the lightest thing on earth, and the sound would have reverberated at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685408753631-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The crowd went numb. They had seen it before. They had seen their hero, Dhoni fail. He isn&rsquo;t immortal and never wishes to be one either. But when he walked back, for the first time, you could see emotions on his face. The cameras were constantly aiming at him, and his reaction was evident.&nbsp;Dhoni was on the verge of breaking down. Perhaps more in anger. For the first time in his entire cricketing career, his mind would have gone, &ldquo;Mahi, tune match harva diya (You have made your team lose, Mahi)&rdquo;. The pensive look on his face said it all. What happened on the field didn&rsquo;t matter, it was almost a rub-your-eyes moment to see the 41-year-old express himself. And he did that entire bit without showing a single emotion.Here was an ice-calm man, perhaps melting for the first time in his life. And had Chennai lost, he would have walked away with the blame. But rarely in life do bad things happen to someone as spectacular as Dhoni. At least not twice in the last two swansongs. Two could have broken a million hearts.&nbsp;Dhoni couldn&rsquo;t &ldquo;Control the Controllables&rdquo;, which was an emotion redirected to himself. Over the last six hours, including multiple drops, misfields and a lightning-fast stumping, Dhoni rarely showed any emotion. But this time, he was ready to accept fate.&nbsp;But fate wasn&rsquo;t ready to accept him. At least not without him winning another IPL title.&nbsp;***This year, time and again, Dhoni has been a constant buzz in <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3850/ravindra-jadeja/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravindra Jadeja</a>&rsquo;s ears after a clash. It might be after a game where the left-arm spinner conceded just 2/12 and picked a wicket or a game where he severely tampered with his own performance, at 1/54.&nbsp;He has always been there. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Jadeja knew that. And he responded with the loudest whistle.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 625px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1663285729387225095&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fms-dhonis-csk-do-it-again-this-time-even-better-5302023-1685406780410&sessionId=5b8be510ae99f62a54386b76a51fe64e92384c6b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1663285729387225095"></iframe></div>10 off 2 balls, Mohit had already redeemed himself with a stunning over.&nbsp;Jadeja was now on strike. He bent his knee and lifted the ball straight down the ground for a six. Then, the ball flew past the fine-leg fielder, and then Jadeja ran a lap. But ultimately, he ran towards the one man that really defines the franchise in its flesh, Dhoni.&nbsp;Even with Dhoni&#39;s dodgy knee, the 41-year-old rejoiced in Ahmedabad, lifting Jadeja, and both shared a bond that seldom is reflected on the main pages of the newspaper or the trending section of Twitter. If CSK are the side that consistently beat the odds throughout the season, Dhoni was handling those odds with some trickery.&nbsp;******Dreams are aligned and in just a year it has been aligned in such a way that two superstars, Dhoni and Lionel Messi, have lifted a trophy. That many didn&rsquo;t believe they would.&nbsp;The two, though, share far more similarities.&nbsp;CSK lost to GT, and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia. CSK huffed and puffed their way to the final, Argentina trusted the individual brilliance of Messi on more than one occasion. Once it reached the final, all eyes were on them. The moment Messi and Dhoni lifted their respective titles, records were broken and every frame became spectacularly viral.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685406598822-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Emiliano Martinez won it for Argentina, and here Jadeja won it for CSK. But ultimately both the Argentinian players and CSK players had a shared vision: wanting to see their skipper finish on a high. The bond that Martinez shared with Messi wasn&rsquo;t any less than what Jadeja shared with Dhoni.&nbsp;The crowd went berserk, and so did the fans watching glued to their television screens. And as their icon walked up to the stage, everyone was prepared with their photos and memories of the man, the myth, the ghost, convinced that he would call it a day, once and for all.But the words he uttered perhaps gained the biggest cheer of the night: &lsquo;I want to give back to the fans by trying to play one more season.&rsquo;Dhoni&rsquo;s batting might still not be the same, and his knees might still be trembling, but Dhoni&rsquo;s clarity over emotions and words possibly makes him one of a kind.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1663302791656538112&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fms-dhonis-csk-do-it-again-this-time-even-better-5302023-1685406780410&sessionId=5b8be510ae99f62a54386b76a51fe64e92384c6b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1663302791656538112"></iframe></div>And if he hadn&rsquo;t already won every heart in the world, he ensured he did it by asking a bonafide IPL legend, Rayudu, to lift the trophy. The dream that began with his cameo ended with Rayudu lifting the title. If that isn&rsquo;t the cliched &ldquo;Life is a circle&rdquo;, then perhaps nothing really is.MS Dhoni and his Chennai Super Kings do it again but this time only better.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

A few years ago, it could have been just another day but this IPL was perhaps one of the biggest wins of Dhoni’s career

MS Dhoni's CSK do it again, this time even better

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League has finally come to an end as Chennai Super Kings edged past Gujarat Titans by five wickets on the final delivery to clinch their fifth title in 10 IPL finals.&nbsp;With rain playing spoilsport on Sunday, May 28th, the summit clash was forced into the reserve day, and<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3676/ms-dhoni/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> MS Dhoni </a>had no hesitation in opting to field first with the rain threat around.&nbsp;The defending champions were powered to 214 runs in the first innings courtesy off Sai Sudharsan&#39;s sublime 96 off 47 deliveries, studded with eight boundaries and six maximums to propel the side to a massive first-innings total.&nbsp;In reply, Chennai&#39;s run chase was halted by relentless showers and the game was reduced to 15 overs, with the visiting side needing 171 runs. While the top order contributed with cameos, the final was down to 10 off the final two deliveries, with <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3850/ravindra-jadeja/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ravindra Jadeja</a> on strike.&nbsp;The southpaw smashed a fuller delivery from Mohit Sharma straight down the ground and followed it up with a flick towards fine leg for a boundary to seal the game for the Super Kings.&nbsp;In the post-match presentation, Dhoni was delighted with the performance of the side in this crunch encounter and stated every trophy is indeed very special after overcoming plenty of challenges.&nbsp;&quot;Every trophy is special, but what is special about IPL is every crunch game you need to be ready. There were lapses today, the bowling department didn&#39;t work, but it was the batting department that took the pressure off them today,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The 41-year-old is in the last phase of his career and admitted it would be the best time to hang up his boots, but with the amount of love he has received across the globe, the skipper will try his best to come back in the next edition.&nbsp;&quot;Circumstantially, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love I have received all over. The easy thing would be to walk away from here, but the harder thing would be working hard for nine months and trying to play another IPL. It would be a gift from me, and won&#39;t be easy on the body,&quot; Dhoni said after being asked about his retirement.&nbsp;&quot;You do get emotional, the first game at CSK, everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water, and I needed to take some time off in the dugout. I realised I need to enjoy this. I think they love me for what I am, and they love that I am so grounded, I don&#39;t try to portray something I&#39;m not. Just keep it simple,&quot; he further added.&nbsp;The summit clash was also the final IPL game for<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4176/ambati-rayudu/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Ambati Rayudu</a>, and Dhoni heaped praises on his teammate for his consistent performances in the league.&nbsp;&quot;The special thing about Rayudu is he will always give his 100% when he is on his field. But with him in the team, I will never win the fairplay award. I&#39;ve been playing with him for a long time since the India A tours.&quot;&quot;He&#39;s a player who can play spin and pace equally well. It is something really special. I felt he would do something really special today, and he&#39;s also like me - not someone who uses the phone often. I hope he enjoys the next phase of his life,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The skipper of CSK admitted it won't be easy on the body but will ensure he does everything to come back for the fans in the upcoming edition

Would be a gift from me to the fans: Dhoni on playing next IPL season

The summit clash of the Indian Premier League lived up to all the hype and expectations as Chennai Super Kings edged past Gujarat Titans in a last-ball thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;Despite being on the losing side,<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Hardik Pandya</a> was pleased with the performance of the Titans all through the tournament and credited the team for fighting through the odds.&nbsp;&quot;I think we tick a lot of boxes as a team. We play with a lot of heart, and I am really proud of the way we kept fighting. We have a motto - we win together, we lose together. I&#39;m not going to make excuses, CSK played the better cricket,&quot; he said in the post-match presentation.&nbsp;After being asked to bat first, Gujarat were powered to 214 runs in the first innings courtesy off a sublime 96 off 47 deliveries by Sai Sudharsan. The southpaw displayed an array of strokes all around the ground to help the team post a formidable total on the board.&nbsp;&quot;We batted really well, and special mention to Sai. It is not easy to play that well at this level. We have been backing the boys and trying to make sure we get the best out of them. But their success is their success,&quot; Hardik added.&nbsp;Hardik also stated that despite losing the final, he is happy for <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/3676/ms-dhoni/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MS Dhoni </a>and the Super Kings. &quot;I&#39;m very happy for MS, and destiny had this written. If I had to lose, I&#39;d rather lose to him.&quot;&quot;Good things happen to good people, and he&#39;s been one of the best people I know. God has been kind, God has been kind to me as well, but today was his night,&quot; he concluded.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The skipper of the Titans also credited the team for being consistent since their inception in the IPL

Destiny had this written for Dhoni: Hardik Pandya

Wow, what a finish. Arguably, the best IPL final ever.&nbsp;Needing 13 of the last over, Mohit Sharma started strongly with four yorkers. Unfortunately, with 10 needed of 2, he missed his mark at the worst possible mark. Two missed yorkers, and Jadeja managed to eke out those two boundaries to help CSK win their fifth title.&nbsp;Before that, B Sai Sudharsan set the stage on fire with a fantastic 47-ball-96. He spared no one, as he scored 8 fours and 6 sixes in his innings. Ably supported by cameos from, the skipper, Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill, along with a fifty from the experienced Wriddhiman Saha, GT posted an imposing 214 on the scoreboard. &nbsp;&nbsp;Here&#39;s what a few of the CSK members had to say.Dwayne Bravo: &quot;It&#39;s a great journey, and I&#39;ve got to give credit to our entire bowling unit and Eric Simons. It&#39;s a great combination between Eric and myself, and we&#39;re proud to see this young bowling group go out and showcase their talent. I hope my best friend Kieron Pollard is watching. He has some catching up to do.&quot;Ajinkya Rahane: &quot;Really enjoyed it. Credit goes to CSK management and Mahi bhai. They said they would back me completely if I got an opportunity, and told me what my role was before the season. They did not interfere at all and the freedom which CSK gives is massive. Really happy with the way I batted. This is really special. Rayudu is a great character to have. Very intense, very hard-working, great team man I would say. The knock he played today was really really special. Very happy for him. &quot;Stephen Fleming: &quot;We have like 20-odd players and 15 coaching staff. It&#39;s a caravan of people but at the end of the day, you&#39;re all just sitting and watching helplessly. Pathirana has been massive. We have been a little bit short in the bowling department so Tushar fronted up. We have enough talent there with Chahar, Simarjeet and a few others. With Pathirana, the backend all of a sudden became a weapon for us. &quot;Ravindra Jadeja: &quot;Feeling amazing winning our fifth title in front of my home crowd. They&#39;ve come in big numbers to support CSK. This crowd has been amazing. They were waiting for rain to stop till late night. Want to say big congratulations to CSK fans. Want to dedicate this win to one of the special members of our team - MS Dhoni. I was just thinking that I need to swing hard no matter what. Yeah, anything can happen. I was looking to hit straight because Mohit can bowl slower ones. Want to say congratulations to each and every fan of CSK. Just keep cheering the way you have been.&quot;Devon Conway (Player Of The Match): It was a long time to wait, very nervous but Rutu and I plotted how we&#39;ll go about it. Personally, it is the greatest win in my career. IPL final, it doesn&#39;t get bigger than that. Lot of credit to Mike Hussey, he is a fellow left-handed player. Nice to be in his shoes.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

MS Dhoni's men did the unthinkable as they tied with Mumbai Indians to become the joint most successful team in the IPL

Dedicate this win to one of the special members of our team, MS Dhoni: Jadeja

One of the Chennai Super Kings&#39; heroes from the 2018 season, Ambati <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/4176/ambati-rayudu/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rayudu</a>, decided to <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/ambati-rayudu-announces-retirement-from-ipl-5282023-1685277382761" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">call time</a> on his Indian Premier League career. Ahead of the final (28th May), he announced his retirement.&nbsp;He started his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in the 2010 season. In his first match, Rayudu smashed a 33-ball 55 against Rajasthan Royals. The batter scored 2416 runs at an average of 27.15 and a strike rate of 126.2 for the Mumbai franchise.&nbsp;The talented batter then moved to Chennai Super Kings in 2018 and played a significant part in their winning campaign (2018). The right-handed batter scored 602 runs in his debut season for Chennai, his best season in the IPL. In 79 innings, Rayudu scored 1913 runs at an average of 29.9 and a strike rate of 128.7 for the Men in Yellow.&nbsp;In the IPL, only two other players, David Warner for Sunrisers Hyderabad (4014) and Delhi Capitals (2383), and Shikhar Dhawan for the same two franchises (SRH - 2518) &amp; (DC - 2066) have 1500+ runs for multiple franchises.&nbsp;Rayudu has been a part of a few sensational knocks in his career. Here is a list of a few:81* off 54 against RCB in 2012If anyone asks which is Rayudu&#39;s best innings, this has to be at the top of the list. Mumbai were chasing a target of 172 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru.&nbsp;The start of their chase was a dreaded one. Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for a first-ball duck, and none of their top three could cross the five-run mark. Mumbai were reeling at 3/19 when Rayudu stepped in. They sank further at the ninth over mark (5/51).&nbsp;From there on, it took a remarkable innings and a partnership to resurrect the chase and win in the last over. Rayudu was the hero of that match with a memorable 81, and rightfully so, the Player of the Match. He forged an unbeaten partnership of 122 (65) with Kieron Pollard.&nbsp;100* off 62 balls &amp; 79 off 37 against SRH in 2018The 2018 season of IPL was the most productive edition of Rayudu&#39;s IPL career. He was relentless, especially against Hyderabad. In four innings, he scored one half-century, one century, and a duck against the opposition.In the first encounter, Rayudu smashed a 37-ball 79, a strike rate of 213.5. His blistering knock helped Chennai register a total of 182. Chennai won this match by just four runs.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1685367901740-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil">In the reverse fixture, Chennai were chasing a similar target (180). In this innings, Rayudu opened alongside Shane Watson. The two openers forged a 134-run partnership before Watson&#39;s dismissal. However, Rayudu did not stop. He registered his solitary century in the IPL and helped Chennai win both fixtures. In both games, he was the Player of the Match.71 off 48 against MI in 2020It was the first match of the 2020 edition of the IPL, an El Clasico. Batting first, Mumbai had posted an average total of 162.&nbsp;With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult &amp; James Pattinson, Mumbai were a formidable attack. Chennai lost both openers in the first two overs. Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu shouldered the responsibility and hoisted a 115-run stand for the third wicket. Rayudu was the major contributor, scoring 71. He took apart Bumrah by scoring 20 runs in 10 balls.&nbsp;55* off 29 against DCH in 2010Mumbai were batting first and in slight trouble when Rayudu came into bat. At 62/3 at the end of the ninth over, Rayudu joined hands with Saurabh Tiwary.&nbsp;Tiwary was playing second fiddle at one end, anchoring the innings, and Rayudu was going hard against the bowlers. His 29-ball 55 helped Mumbai post a total of 178. Rayudu was the Player of the Match for his efforts in this innings.&nbsp;63 off 37 against KKR in 2017This was one of those innings in which Rayudu stood on top of all Mumbai batters. Rayudu scored 63 runs in this match at a strike rate of 170.3. The numbers suggest it was a good innings. But, in that innings, Mumbai posted a total of 173 when none of their other batters had a strike rate above 130.&nbsp;Considering the above aspect, the weightage of this innings against Kolkata is more. &nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Ambati Rayudu has played 186 innings for his 4329 runs in the IPL, averaging 28.3 at a strike rate of 127.3

CSK vs GT T20 Final, Indian Premier League, 2023 - Commentary

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