Rains once again lashed on the pitches of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad just three balls into the second innings of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Final between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Gujarat Titans (GT). After the match was moved to Monday, May 29, which is the reserve day, GT smashed 215 but CSK could only play three balls and score four runs before rains interrupted what promised to be an exciting end to the tournament.
With rains threatening to end the game, former CSK all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin shared his prediction on who will win the ultimate trophy and believes that the conditions and the rain interruption will favour the four-time champions.
"Everyone getting this DL par score. Confused with the revised target if the game is truncated. Whatever said and done, a truncated game with all wickets in hand, wet ball and a slick outfield will mean that CSK will fancy a 5th title," he wrote on Twitter.
During the first innings, young and uncapped batter Sai Sudharsan stepped up to the occasion after the early wicket of the in-form Shubman Gill, who is also the current Orange Cap holder as well. After the bright start that openers Wriddhiman Saha and Gill gave GT, hitting 62 runs in the Powerplay.
However, Ravindra Jadeja got the breakthrough in the seventh over with a brilliant stumping by MS Dhoni. He managed 39 off 20 balls, but his wicket gave way to Sudharsan, who came close to becoming just the third player to hit a century in an IPL final.
Sudharsan's innings finished at 96 runs off just 47 balls, at a strike rate of 204.25 with 8 fours and 6 sixes to his name. He failed to complete his century however, after being caught LBW by CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana. He helped GT set a target of 215 runs for CSK to chase down.
The run-chase started but only three balls were bowled with one boundary hit.
The pitch was also inspected at 10:45 pm, and will also take place at 10:30 pm. 11:45pm is the cut-off for a full 20-over game. Every 4-minute delay will result in one over being deducted.
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