Sai Sudharsan lit up the IPL 2023 final as he smashed an incredible 96 runs in 47 balls against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings. Having won the toss and electing to bowl first, Dhoni’s bowlers were taken to the cleaners as Gujarat Titans posted the highest total in the history of the IPL final by recording 214/4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday, May 29.
It was a blistering knock from the young uncapped player who was retired out in the last match for not scoring at the pace the team had wanted but Sudharshan gave a fitting reply to everyone by playing arguably the most important knock of his career so far.
Sudharshan’s knock came at a staggering strike rate of 204.26 and he smashed 8 boundaries and six maximums. Skipper Hardik Pandya applied the finishing touches taking his side to 214 after Sai was dismissed on 96, narrowly missing what would have been a well-deserved century.
CSK vs GT, IPL 2023 Final, Live Score pdates: Sai Sudharsan, Wriddhiman Saha Propel Gujarat Titans to 214/4
Earlier Wriddhiman Saha’s fifty set the tone for GT, he smashed 54 in 39 balls while Shubman Gill had added 39 in 20 balls.
A big moment arrived in the game as early as in the second over when Tushar Deshpande had Gill flicking a delivery on the leg side, as if executing a well-planned delivery, but with no success.
Deepak Chahar, positioned at short fine leg, spilled a regulation chance but Gill also could not hurt CSK the way he did Mumbai Indians a few nights ago, here.
Saha piled further pressure on the bowler, collecting 16 runs off the third over and providing the Titans momentum.
Gill followed with three consecutive fours off Deshpande, but Chahar’s poor luck continued when spilled a tough return catch off Saha’s bat.
The two drops indeed proved costly as GT reached 62 for no loss after the powerplay.
However, the brilliance of MS Dhoni ended Gill’s sensational IPL with the bat, stumping the batter for a 20-ball 39 (7x4s) off Ravindra Jadeja (4-0-38-1) in the seventh over.
With 890 runs in 17 matches with three centuries and four fifties, an average of 59.33 and strike rate of 157.80, the 23-year-old Gill finished with the second best performance for any batter in IPL history.
Saha brought up his second fifty of this IPL in the 13th over but his 64-run stand with B Sai Sudharsan ended in the 14th over, with Chahar getting him caught by Dhoni.
Saha hit five fours and a six to make 54 from 39 balls.
The second highest run-scorer for Gujarat Titans this season, Sudharsan accelerated to his third fifty in this IPL, bringing it up with consecutive fours off Matheesha Pathirana.
The young left-handed batter from Chennai recovered well from a sedate start to accelerate after the 14th-over mark, hitting three fours and a six off Deshpande and two sixes against Theekshana.
In fact, Sudharsan was on 36 from 25 balls when Saha was dismissed, and on the next 21 balls he faced, the 21-year-old former CSK academy alumni smacked 60 runs.
However, in the final over, Sudharsan’s carnage ended as Pathirana pinned him in front of the wickets for his first breakthrough in the game.
GT skipper Hardik Pandya scored an unbeaten 12-ball 21.
With PTI Inputs
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