Chennai Super Kings, captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has reached the IPL final for a record 10th time. They defeated defending champions Gujarat Titans by 15 runs in Qualifier-1 on Tuesday (May 23). This is Chennai's first win over Gujarat in four matches. Earlier, CSK had to face defeat in all three matches. Dhoni will now take the field on Sunday (May 28) to become the champion for the fifth time.
Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Chennai scored 172 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs. In response, the Gujarat team was reduced to 157 runs in 20 overs.
The Chennai team did not reach the playoffs last time
The four-time champion Chennai team has made a great comeback. She did not even reach the playoffs last season. This time under the captaincy of Dhoni, the team again made it to the playoffs and then reached the title match. The final match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Gujarat team will play in Qualifier-2
Talking about Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya is not out after this defeat. He will get a second chance to reach the finals. She will play in Qualifier-2 on 26 May in Ahmedabad. There he will compete with Mumbai Indians or Lucknow Super Giants. The eliminator match will be played between Mumbai and Lucknow on Wednesday (May 24). The winning team in this match will play against Gujarat in Qualifier-2.
Gaikwad scored the most runs for Chennai
Rituraj Gaikwad scored the highest 60 runs for Chennai. Devon Conway contributed 40 runs. Both shared an 87-run partnership for the first wicket. Ravindra Jadeja scored 22 runs off 16 balls. Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu scored 17-17 runs.
Dhoni's bat did not work
Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shivam Dubey scored one run each. Moin Ali remained unbeaten after scoring nine runs off four balls. Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma took two wickets each for Gujarat. Darshan Nalkande, Noor Ahmed, and Rashid Khan got one success each.
Shubman Gill could not finish
Chasing the target of 173 runs from Chennai, the Gujarat team lost wickets at regular intervals. He had to bear the brunt of this. For Gujarat, Shubman Gill scored the highest 42 off 38 balls. He could not show the amazing performance of the last two matches in this match. Gill had scored centuries against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore, but this time he could not finish the match.
Rashid Khan raised hopes
Rashid Khan scored quick runs in the last over. He raised hopes for the team, but he could not win. Rashid scored 30 runs off 16 balls. Dasun Shanaka scored 17, Vijay Shankar scored 14 and Wriddhiman Saha scored 12 runs.
Chennai bowlers wreaked havoc
Captain Hardik Pandya's eight, Mohammed Shami's five, David Miller's four, and Rahul Tewatia were dismissed for three runs. Noor Ahmed scored seven not out. Darshan Nalkande could not open the account. Deepak Chahar, Mahish Teekshana, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mathisha Pathirana took two wickets each for Chennai. Tushar Deshpande gets a breakthrough.
