Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 by five wickets. With this win, the Chennai-based outfit now goes head-to-head with Mumbai Indians (MI) when it comes to being the most successful team in the history of IPL. The CSK fans who put faith in their team on online cricket betting platforms, too, were rewarded in IPL 2023.
The Five-time Champions
As we celebrate the Yellow Brigade’s record-equalling fifth IPL title win, we can’t stop looking back at the five factors solely responsible for CSK’s glory. From MS Dhoni’s captaincy to Ajinkya Rahane’s revival, let’s look at all of them:
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MS Dhoni’s Captaincy:
Old is gold; It is pretty true when it comes to MS Dhoni and, of course, his captaincy. Dhoni being Dhoni, kept a clear head about the results. Even after the close loss to Rajasthan Royals, the 41-year-old never looked crestfallen.
He also effectively used his spinners to perfection besides grooming the young Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana, whom he effectively deployed in death overs. Although Dhoni’s batting looked wanting, his leadership skills were at their best.
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Solid Batting Upfront:
From game one, CSK solved this part of the puzzle well – opening batting is the key in the shortest format. If it was Ruturaj Gaikwad in the first match, then Devon Conway took over in the following games and ensured CSK had some terrific starts.
Gaikwad made a 92 in the opening match, followed by a fifty against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at home. Meanwhile, by this time, Conway found his groove. When Gaikwad didn’t score, the Kiwi left-handed batter chipped in.
Even in the final, the duo gave CSK a 72-run stand which proved vital. By the time season ended, Gaikwaad had accounted for 590 runs, while Conway had 672 runs to his name.
Though there wasn’t a Mankading dismissal in IPL 2023, Mankading in cricket continues to be a hot topic. Find out more on cricket’s most controversial mode of dismissal.
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Rise of Shivam Dubey:
The Mumbai-born cricketer had shown his skills as a batting all-rounder earlier, but no one expected him to come so hard this season. Shivam Dube made valuable contributions in every second game, and by the time the season ended, he collected 418 runs at a strike rate of 158. In Ben Stokes’ absence, he had to step up as a finisher, and boy, didn’t he deliver?
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The Rahane Resurgence:
Ajinkya Rahane will always remember IPL 2023 because his performance this year made his Test comeback possible. He racked up 326 runs in 14 matches with two fifties. His 71-run knock against Kolkata Knight Riders in just 29 balls was outstanding.
Though his form had dipped a bit in the business end, he returned with a superb cameo in the big final, where he made a brilliant 22 valuable runs in just ten balls.
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Effective Spin Line-Up:
In the match against Lucknow Super Giants, CSK was heading for a big loss. But Moeen Ali came to the rescue by picking up four wickets. The game turned on its head as CSK clinched a 12-run win.
With Ravindra Jadeja’s permanent presence, the team went after Maheesh Theekshana, Moeen Ali, and Mitchell Santner. Theekhsana came good in the second half of the season and developed a good rapport with Jadeja, who was CSK’s second top wicket-taker with 21 wickets to his name.
Concluding Thoughts
MS Dhoni and CSK equaled MI’s record of five IPL titles which means they are back in the race for the most successful IPL franchise. There was a time when the Mumbai-based franchise was nowhere near the South Indian outfit, after which Rohit Sharma and his men would win five IPL titles. Till 2018, Mumbai was miles ahead, but interestingly, CSK has notched up three titles – 2018, 2021, and 2023.