Chennai Super Kings booked their tickets to IPL final after clinching a 15-run victory over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
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CSK’s innings were spearheaded by Ruturaj Gaikwad scoring 60 runs (44b, 7×4, 1×6) en route to a 173-run target for Gujarat. They did well to reach 172/7 on a slow pitch after Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya opted to bowl.
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Considering the conditions, it turned out to be much more than a competitive total as GT had a rare off day to end with 157 all out. Rashid Khan made the CSK fans nervous with a 16-ball 30 towards the end but it was not enough for the Titans.
With the win, MS Dhoni has now led CSK to 10 IPL finals in 16 editions. Of those, Chennai went on win four titles. Personally, MS Dhoni has been to 11 IPL finals – the other with Rising Pune Supergiant – during a period when CSK were banned.
“Look at how they reached the finals, 14 seasons, 10 finals, I think it’s a great achievement. MS Dhoni kept it simple. He deserves credit and Ruturaj (Gaikwad) had told me that CSK wants to win the title for Dhoni. Entire India wants to see Dhoni win the IPL. But what we got to see today is that it’s very challenging to beat Chennai on this ground. Everything he touches turns to gold, and that’s why he’s named Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” said Suresh Raina, Dhoni’s former CSK teammate, on JioCinema.
Dismissal of Hardik Pandya in the sixth over played a key role in ensuring victory for CSK.
Parthiv Patel, who also played for CSK, explained the careful instructions that Dhoni passed on to Maheesh Theekshana.
“MS Dhoni tried to tell Theekshana to bowl within the stump and treated the off-side like a ring because they gave no room to Hardik and he didn’t have the chance to hit the ball from below and find the gap because there were six fielders on that side. There was only one choice, to hit it over the top, but the ball was on the stump, which meant he had to create his own room. That’s why he lost his wicket.
“Nobody understands moments like that better than MS Dhoni, what his team needs in that particular moment, and which bowler is needed. He understands that well and that is why this team can continuously come back and every player recognizes MSD’s contributions.”
GT were always going to be under pressure considering the match took place in Chennai, where CSK enjoy a strong record.
“I feel there is an intimidating factor. Whether it’s the ground or it’s the MSD factor, opposition teams arrive thinking they have to play extraordinary cricket to beat them. But when you look at the scoreboard, you tend to lose by small margins. It’s 10 or 15 runs, being no-ball free, it’s small things that turn a game upside down. MSD and his troops tend to get it right, when they play at home, when they play in big Finals, you’ll see what they come up with,” said former Royal Challengers Bangalore player AB de Villiers.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans will now await the winner of the Eliminator clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 on Friday.
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