Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Gujarat Titans in the most dramatic fashion in the IPL 2023 final on Monday (May 29) to lift the trophy the record fifth time. Ravindra Jadeja was the hero for them hitting 10 runs off the last two balls helping the side get over the line. However, it was a team effort especially from the batting unit that beat all the odds to chase down 171 runs in just 15 overs in a truncated innings.
Ambati Rayudu, playing the last game of his career, also played a huge role smashing 19 runs off just 8 balls with one four and two sixes to his name. His assault of the said boundaries off Mohit Sharma turned out to be crucial in bringing the equation down for CSK who eventually won the match in the last-ball thriller. With this title victory, not only CSK became the most successful team alongside Mumbai Indians, Ambati Rayudu also became the player to win most IPL trophies ever.
Only Rohit Sharma had won the cash-rich league most times as a player and Rayudu just equalled him in this aspect. MS Dhoni, on the other hand, won the IPL trophy for the fifth time, all as captain, and levelled up with the Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya.
Speaking after the match, Rayudu got emotional and called it a fairytale finish to his career. "It's a fairytale finish and I couldn't have asked for more. It's unbelievable, really fortunate to have played in some great sides. This win is something I will remember for the rest of my life, for all the hardwork in the last 30 years, happy that it finished on this note. I would like to take this moment to thank my family and thank my father, without him I wouldn't have been here today," he said.
