IPL 2023 Final | Ravindra Jadeja guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title win as MS Dhoni's men defeated Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans in the summit clash of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Chasing a target of 171 in 15 overs in a rain-curtailed chase, Jadeja held his shape well to slam 10 from the final 2 balls of Mohit Sharma to take CSK home. After the win, CSK dived into joy and everyone congratulated them.
Meanwhile, CSK's head coach Stephen Fleming was full of praise for Jadeja and highlighted that the Southpaw proved that fairytales exist in sport. Meanwhile, he also stated that Jadeja made a brilliant comeback after the previous season.
"They say there are no fairy tales in the sport, but it was a pretty good one today. It has been a bit difficult 18 months where, as the captaincy was difficult, the injury was difficult, it took a bit of time from out of the game for him to come back into and be reintegrated into the Test side, and then re-integrate into CSK," Fleming told the media after Chennai defeated Gujarat Titans in the IPL final here.
Fleming also shared what was going through his mind in the final over, especially after witnessing a last-ball defeat in the finals to Mumbai Indians in 2019. "We have lost finals on the last ball which is an absolute heartache. I was gearing up myself for another heartache when Jaddu hit one for six and there could have been more heartache or more joy, I was not sure. But when I saw the ball go down, finally there was pure joy. This competition takes you to emotional levels that you cannot imagine," Fleming added.
Notably, the Chennai coach also praised Jadeja's firepower and also opened on Jadeja's shot selection in the final two balls. "He plays a great role with the ball, but we have got so much firepower, that some ways we use him down the order, but something has to give. MS (Dhoni) has been very supportive and proactive in getting him up there and today he repaid that faith," Fleming said.
"The six, I think, in particular of the ball which was pretty close to being perfect, was defining, and then left-handed drive to the fine leg. It was a great way to finish it. I couldn’t be happier for him. There has been some frustration at times, but he is our gun player, he is a No 1 ranked player and today he delivered," he added.
