On Tuesday, May 23, Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2023 took place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Chennai Super Kings beat the Gujarat Titans. The team under MS Dhoni was able to hold the team under Hardik Pandya to only 157 runs in the second game after setting a goal of 173 runs for the defending champions to achieve.
Gujarat joined the IPL when two new teams were added to the event last year. Before Tuesday, there had not been a game in which Gujarat Titans lost all 10 wickets since the IPL 2022. Before the last over of the chase, GT had lost nine wickets.
Their loss was certain, but Deepak Chahar made a great running catch on the last ball, which caused GT to lose their last wicket on the last delivery of the game. This was the first time GT had ever lost all of their wickets on the field.
Gujarat did not get off to a good start. Deepak Chahar sent opener Wriddhiman Saha back to the dugout in the third over after he scored 12 runs off 11 balls. Then, in the last over of the powerplay (the sixth), Maheesh Theekshana struck and got rid of the other team’s captain, Hardik Pandya, who failed to score big again.
Then, Dasun Shanaka teamed up with the in-form Shubman Gill to try to steady the game. He didn’t have much of an effect, though, because Ravindra Jadeja got rid of him. Wickets kept falling because the GT batters couldn’t work together to make a strong team in the middle. Gill had just made two hundred in a row, but Chahar got rid of him in the 14th over as GT was getting into trouble.
At the end of the game, all-rounder Rashid Khan gave his team the energy it needed, but it wasn’t enough because the CSK bowlers were at their best. Matheesha Pathirana gave away a lot of extra runs, but in the end he did well. On the last delivery, he got rid of Mohammed Shami, which led to Gujarat being all-out for 157 runs and CSK winning by 15 runs.
Gujarat did not get off to the best of starts, as opener Wriddhiman Saha walked back to the pavilion in the third over, scoring 12 runs off 11 deliveries, courtesy of Deepak Chahar. Maheesh Theekshana then struk in the final over of the powerplay (sixth) and dismissed the opposition skipper as Hardik Pandya failed to go big yet again.
Dasun Shanaka then joined hands with the in-form Shubman Gill to stabilise the innings, but failed to make an impact as he fell prey to Ravindra Jadeja. Wickets kept falling on regular intervals as the GT batters could not put up a formidable partnership in the middle. Gill, who was coming on the back of two consecutive centuries, was sent packing by Chahar in the 14th over as GT found themselves in trouble.
All-rounder Rashid Khan provided his side with much-needed momentum towards the far end of the game, but nothing much could have been done as the CSK bowlers were at their best. Matheesha Pathirana gave away quite a few extra runs, but eventually managed to do well and got a wicket off the final delivery when he dismissed Mohammed Shami, which led to Gujarat being all-out for 157 runs and CSK winning the game by 15 runs.
The defeat also marked the Titans’ fourth defeat while chasing in the IPL. While it had slipped only once batting second during its title-winning run in 2022, GT also lost to Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals chasing this season.
Recording its first defeat in the IPL Playoffs, the Titans will meet the winner of the Eliminator match between Lucknow Super Giants and MI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
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