Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and 4 off the final two balls as Chennai Super Kings edged out Gujarat Titans to win a record-equalling fifth IPL title and ship celebrity M.S. Dhoni out with a bang in what was anticipated to be his swan tune.
Chennai chased down their revised goal of 171 in 15 overs with 5 wickets to spare in a rain-hit IPL remaining which went previous 1.30am native time on a reserve day in Ahmedabad following a washout on Sunday.
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New Zealand’s Devon Conway led the chase together with his 25-ball 47 earlier than cameos from Ajinkya Rahane (27) and Shivam Dube, who hit an unbeaten 32, set the stage for Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics.
Needing 13 off the ultimate over, Mohit Sharma bowled 4 good balls, leaving Chennai needing 10 off two deliveries.
Missing his size in an tried yorker, Sharma delivered a ball completely within the arc for Jadeja to launch over long-on for six.
Needing 4 to win off the final ball, Sharma’s error in size compounded with a low, straight full toss at Jadeja’s pads, clipped away previous quick wonderful leg for a boundary that may ship the Narendra Modi Stadium into meltdown, and produce Chennai their fifth title to go degree with Mumbai Indians.
The match was anticipated to be Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s final of his glittering profession because the 41-year-old stored attracting enormous crowds throughout venues this season and over 80,000 followers cheered the veteran within the remaining.
Such is Dhoni’s superstar, Chennai crowds even cheered their very own wickets all through the season, hoping for an opportunity to see the legend in motion.
Playing his 250th IPL match, Dhoni received out for a first-ball duck as he went again to a surprised silence, however he had the final snort in his tenth look within the remaining as Chennai captain.
Rain compelled gamers off the bottom when Chennai had been 4 with out loss after three balls of their innings.
The downpour lasted for about quarter-hour however covers got here off from one of many pitches which received damp and the bottom workers labored for over two hours to get the sphere prepared for play.
Sai Sudharsan smashed 96 off 47 balls to information Gujarat, a group which received the crown of their debut season final yr within the T20 competitors and topped the desk on this version, to 214-4.
In-form Gujarat opener Shubman Gill hit a 20-ball 39.
Gill, recent from his third century this season within the final playoff and who leads the batting chart with 890 runs, was dropped on three when Deepak Chahar spilled a simple catch off quick bowler Tushar Deshpande.
The opener smashed Deshpande for 3 straight boundaries within the subsequent over and stored up the assault with common hits to the fence earlier than Dhoni’s lightning fast glovework despatched again the batsman, stumped off Jadeja.
Fellow opener Wriddhiman Saha made 54 and placed on 64 runs with Sudharsan, who took cost after his accomplice’s departure.
Speaking after the match, Dhoni put pause on questions of retirement, saying he wanted to offer Chennai followers the “gift” of another season.
“The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire,” Dhoni stated.
“But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season.
“The body has to hold up. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season.
“The way they’ve shown their love and emotion, it’s something I need to do for them. It’s the last part of my career.
“It started over here and the full house was chanting my name. It was my same thing in Chennai, but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can.”
Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya referred to as it “destiny” that Dhoni would win one more title.
“I’m very happy for him,” Pandya stated.
“Destiny had this written for him. If I had to lose, I don’t mind losing to him. Good things happen to good people.”
Broadcaster Alison Mitchell referred to as it a “gripping climax.”
“How Jadeja managed that I do not know,” she stated on Twitter.
“Mohit Sharma had done brilliantly. Wow.”
Mitchell additionally famous that the win for Chennai gave batter Ambati Rayudu a record-equalling sixth IPL title, degree with Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma.
The Telegraph’s Will Macpherson referred to as Jadeja “ridiculous”.
“Ravi Jadeja is a ridiculous cricketer. So good is so many ways,” he stated.
Source: www.news.com.au
