(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Published: Tue 30 May 2023, 1:20 PM Last updated: Tue 30 May 2023, 1:48 PM
Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) last-ball victory against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final in Ahmedabad on Monday triggered euphoria on and off the field. We bring to you three post-match moments involving CSK's three champion players.
Farewell Rayudu In the end, Ambati Rayudu left the field with his head held high. A year ago, the CSK batter announced on Twitter that the 2022 edition of the IPL would be his last. But soon after, he deleted the tweet - and the Chennai team management confirmed that the former ODI star would continue to play in the cash-rich league.
The move paid off. The 37-year-old played a crucial cameo (19 off 8 balls) that helped Chennai defeat Gujarat in a rain-affected IPL final. It was Chennai's fifth title. And for Rayudu, who has also played for Mumbai Indians, it was IPL trophy number six.
Rayudu, who quit international cricket after being overlooked for the 2019 World Cup in England, had announced on Sunday that the match against Gujarat would be his last in the IPL. And on Monday, at the presentation ceremony, skipper MS Dhoni called Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja, who hit 10 off the last two balls of the innings to secure Chennai's victory, to lift the trophy. A heart-warming farewell to a champion!
Jadeja, the finisher Jadeja played an invaluable knock of 15 off 6 deliveries to take Chennai over the line. CSK needed 13 runs in the final over - and Jadeja smashed a six and a four off the last two balls to seal a splendid CSK victory.
The ever-effective all-rounder made some precious contributions to his side this IPL season. He scored 190 runs in 12 innings at an average of 23.75 and a strike rate of 142.85. He took 20 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 21.55 and an economy rate of 7.56, with the best figures of 3/20.
After the match, Jadeja hugged his wife Rivaba, an Indian politician, as emotions swept players, their families and fans at the stands in the world's largest cricket stadium. Later, the 34-year-old took to Twitter to say that the entire CSK team worked towards bagging the trophy for Dhoni.
Dhoni magic He could be the Captain Cool of Indian cricket - calm, composed and steely, but even his face betrayed shades of emotions immediately after Jadeja hit the winning boundary to earn CSK's nail-biting win on Monday.
At the presentation ceremony, the 41-year-old - who has called it quits on international cricket - addressed the buzz over his possible retirement from IPL. He said "this is the best time to announce my retirement", making hearts stop at the stands where 80,000 people had gathered to witness the high-voltage clash.
"..but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL," he said, drawing loud cheers. "A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide..."
Meanwhile, his post-match family photos have tugged at the heartstrings of his fans online, with netizens sharing videos and photos of Dhoni's daughter Ziva hugging him after the famous victory, and Dhoni getting clicked with his wife Sakshi and Ziva.
best time to announce my retirement, says dhoni after chennai win title in last-ball thriller against gujarat
ipl 2023 final: chennai super kings clinch fifth title, win against gujarat titans by 5 wickets
watch: sara ali khan, vicky kaushal celebrate chennai's ipl final win