Chennai Super Kings, the four-time champions, emerged victorious in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2023 against the Gujarat Titans. The match took place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, May 23. Chennai set a target of 173 runs for the defending champions, and the MS Dhoni-led team successfully limited the Hardik Pandya-led side to 157 runs in their chase.
Gujarat, having entered the IPL just last year as one of the newly added teams, had not experienced a complete loss of all ten wickets in a game until Tuesday. Before the final over of their chase, Gujarat had already lost nine wickets. While their defeat was already sealed, an exceptional running catch by Deepak Chahar on the final delivery resulted in Gujarat losing their last wicket on the field, marking the first instance of the team losing all their wickets in a match.
Gujarat’s innings did not commence on a strong note as opener Wriddhiman Saha was dismissed by Deepak Chahar in the third over, scoring 12 runs off 11 deliveries. Maheesh Theekshana further struck in the sixth over, during the powerplay, dismissing Gujarat’s captain, Hardik Pandya, who failed to make a significant impact once again.
Shubman Gill, accompanied by Dasun Shanaka, attempted to stabilize the innings but failed to make a substantial contribution as Shanaka fell victim to Ravindra Jadeja. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as the Gujarat batsmen struggled to build a solid partnership. Gill, who had recently scored two consecutive centuries, was dismissed by Chahar in the 14th over, leaving Gujarat in a precarious position.
All-rounder Rashid Khan provided his team with some momentum towards the end of the game, but the CSK bowlers were at their best. Although Matheesha Pathirana conceded a few extra runs, he ultimately performed well and claimed a wicket on the final delivery, dismissing Mohammed Shami. This resulted in Gujarat being bowled out for 157 runs, securing a 15-run victory for Chennai Super Kings.
