MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made a record 10th Indian Premier League (IPL) final after beating the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) by 15 runs in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, May 23. When they played at their usual home field, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, CSK was on top of the game. They will now face the winner of Qualifier 2, which will be decided on Friday by the game between the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.
CSK Were At Their Best:
After setting a goal of 173 for GT, CSK looked like they were in full control of the game as they hit LSG early. Deepak Chahar and Maheesh Theekshana did a great job with the ball and got rid of Wriddhiman Saha (12) and Hardik Pandya (8) while GT was on the power play. Even so, Shubman Gill’s well-made 42 was the best part of GT’s innings, as no one else was able to make a big score.
The GT hitters didn’t do very well, so the CSK bowlers stepped up. Chahar, Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja, and Matheesha Pathirana all ended up with two wickets each. Tushar Deshpande also took the last wicket. GT was bowled out for 157, and they were never in the game. Only five of their bowlers got into double digits.
What Happened During CSK’s Innings?
In the first qualifier match of the league, Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma each took two wickets to hold Chennai Super Kings to 172/7 in 20 overs at MA Chidambaram Stadium. Ruturaj Gaikwad got the most runs for CSK, with 60 runs off 44 balls.
After being given the chance to bat, the Chennai Super Kings lost Ruturaj Gaikwad when they only had five runs on the board. Gaikwad was out because Darshan Nalkande got him out, but he didn’t have much time to celebrate because the judge called it a “no ball.” After that, Gaikwad and Devon Conway played well and helped CSK add 49 runs without losing a wicket in the first six overs of the powerplay.
Now, CSK will wait to see who wins Qualifier 2, where they could face GT again. The five-time champion Mumbai Indians are also in the running. On Wednesday, LSG will host MI in the eliminator match, and the winner will play GT on Friday.
