IPL 2023 FINAL - 590

   Gujarat Titans - Chennai           Superkings Final IPL Match 

             29 th May 2023 

 Good Afternoon 🙏I am a sort of a Cricket Crazy Fan and a keen follower of the game in all its 3 Formats . I have watched the entire IPL 2023 Matches till the very last ball which include the presentation Ceremony . The last one and a half months have been really hectic with me going to sleep close to Midnight on each of these days .  The  *Grand Finale* between GT Vs CSK was a long match which commenced on the 28th  at  7.30 PM only to be interrupted by rain on multiple occasions and finally ending at 3.30 AM when the presentation  Ceremony got over on 30 th May . 

 GT batted first  and scored a more than par 214/4 . Sai Sudershan's scintillating innings of 96 in 47 balls with 8 boundaries & 6 sixes was a real treat to watch. Dhoni's Reflexes are as sharp even now as it was in his prime .  His keeping behind the wickets is  good  or should one say excellent even now at age  42. They way he stumped Shubhman Gill and removed him even as he was starting to get dangerous was really great even as  the  crowd was chanting *Gill Maange  More*😊  Well , I did not switch off the TV during the rain interruption and watched SAVUKKU SHANKAR on YouTube as he waxed eloquent on the political scenario unfolding because of the IT Raids on the Karur Gang and its political implications . Frankly , it is hard to decide which was more interesting between the two .

 The  rain came in and interrupted the match after GT"s innings .  After the mop up operations the CSK innings started. Ruturaj Gaikwad ,Conway ,Rehane , Rayudu all came up with cameos which finally helped the CSK cause . By  01.30  CSK were still in the hunt and needed 20 runs in the last 2 covers with (5 wickets in hand) Jadeja & Shivam Dubey were batting. I stayed glued on to the TV as only the last 3 balls were left to be bowled and CSK still needed 11 runs for victory. Mohit Sharma bowled the 4th ball of the final over to Dubey  who pushed it for a single to give the strike to Jadeja and CSK still needed 10 runs for victory with just 2 Balls remaining . This  looked almost impossible with the way Mohit Sharma had been bowling. But Jadeja had other ideas. He hit the 5th ball for a huge six over the bowlers head which sailed over far into the stands and followed it by flicking the final ball around his leg for a boundary to seal the issue and snatch the title for CSK for the 5th time. The  great leadership qualities of MSD was very much in  evidence . He assigned specific  role to every player, reposed confidence and extended the much needed support by not only standing behind the stumps but also supporting everyone even during the worst of times . What a demonstration  of true Leadership Qualities . 

Ajinkya Rehane has been given  all the backing and in his  Version 2 he has rediscovered himself in an  all new role which has rightfully earned him a come back to the World Test Championship Final against  Australia from the 7 th of June at The Lords , London .

Tushar Deshpande , Shivam Dubey, Deekshana , Pathirana have all been a revelation .

All others which include Ruturaj Gaikwad , Devon  Conway , Deepak Chahar , Ambati Rayudu , Santner have all contributed whenever they were in the squad .

Junior Thala Ravindra Jadeja has been in the thick of action in all three departments Batting , Bowling or Fielding inspite of false rumours of a rift between him and his Captain .

The picture of Dhoni lifting up Jadeja after the Victory run finally put an end to the media gossip .

A TRUE CHAMPION SIDE THE CSK

👍Long live MSD & TEAM CSK!👍

I thought it would be only fair to add my Last Year's Post about the IPL FINAL WHEN I WAS AT AJAX IN TORONTO CANADA . MY LAST YEARS WISH HAS BEEN FULFILLED THIS YEAR .

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 IPL 2022 FINAL RAJASTHAN ROYALS VERSUS GUJARAT 

                   TITANS                        

I must admit that I have been a follower of Cricket right from my early School Days . Whatever the format , be it the Test Match , One Dayers or the  T20 Matches , I have followed them Keenly especially if India is in the contest .

The INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE or the IPL has always been my favourite simply because it attracts all the best players in the business from across the cricketing World and CSK was and is always  my favourite Team . 

Unfortunately CSK s fortune this season has not been good and its chances of making it to the play off stage were done and dusted at the halfway stage itself . This left me backing the RAJASTHAN ROYALS simply because they were the Right Royal  Underdogs .

My recent move to Toronto meant that I had followed the First Half of the Tournament in VK PURAM , INDIA and the second half in the comfort of a 74 " TV at  AJAX - CANADA .

Battle lines at home were clearly drawn . My Grandson Adhvays knowledge of the game and its vital statistics surprised me as Cricket as played here is still at the nascent stage in Canada  . RAJASTHAN ROYALS had my and my sons support while my Grandson mustered the support of his Mom and Grandmother to the GUJARAT TITANS . This went with the Grand Trophy which he had carefully and painstakingly designed .

Each shot was followed with a wild shriek and a loud thump of the table .

As it turned out , it was a low scoring match which my Grandsons Team had won comfortably .

MORE THAN THE MATCH NOTHING CAN MATCH  THE THRILL OF WATCHING THE MATCH IN THE COMPANY OF MY GRANDSON ON THE HUGE SCREEN WHICH TOOK PLACE AT THE ONE LAKH CAPACITY NARENDRA MODI STADIUM AT AHMEDABAD. 

Hope better luck prevails for CSK my favourite Team next time.