In a match that will go down as one of the greatest finals ever played in the history of cricket, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinched a nerve-jangling five-wicket win (DLS method) against Gujarat Titans on May 29 (Monday) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Men in Yellow tied Mumbai Indians' (MI) record of winning five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles after lifting the prestigious trophy on Monday. Just when it looked like Hardik Pandya's men will defend their crown, 'rockstar' Ravindra Jadeja rocked GT's hopes by delivering a sensational performance under immense pressure.
Needing 10 runs off two balls. Jadeja smashed the penultimate delivery for a six down the ground and followed it up with a four towards deep fine leg before setting off on a long celebratory run. 'Sir Jadeja', as he is popularly known, delivered a performance of a 'Knight' while playing in front of his home crowd - a Gujarat native dashed the hopes of their beloved franchise in the state's capital. What a story!
Once CSK's victory was sealed, Dhoni stopped Jadeja's celebratory run and lifted his match-winner, a reaction that has rarely been seen out of one of the greatest captains to have played the sport. Dhoni had tears in his eyes when he embraced and lifted Jadeja in his arms.
The CSK all-rounder shared an emotional post on May 30 (Tuesday) in which he uploaded pictures of him with his wife Rivaba and captain MS Dhoni. It was the caption of the post that won the hearts of millions people.
"We did it for ONE and ONLY “MS DHONI. mahi bhai aapke liye toh kuch bhi," Jadeja captained the tweet.
Before his six-ball 15, Jadeja took the important wicket of in-form Shubman Gill. Jadeja was introduced right after the powerplay overs and he lured Gill on the front foot. The ball spun away and beat Gill's bat. The GT opener dragged his back foot and Dhoni took the bails off in a flash.
Jadeja turned out to be CSK's second-highest wicket-taker in the season. The left-arm spinner took 20 wickets from 16 games at a strike rate of 17.10. He conceded runs at an economy rate of 7.56 runs per over.
After the game, Jadeja dedicated the victory to CSK fans and the franchise's special member 'MS Dhoni'.
“Feeling amazing winning fifth title in front of my home crowd. They've come in big numbers to support CSK. This crowd has been amazing. They were waiting for rain to stop till late night. Want to say big congratulations to CSK fans. Want to dedicate this win to one of the special members of our team - MS Dhoni,” Jadeja told commentator Simon Doull after the game.
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