Gujarat Titans set 215-run target for Chennai Super Kings on the back of Sai Sudharsan’s 96 in IPL final

Gujarat Titans got off to a flying start, hitting 49 in the first five overs on their home turf at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha started cautiously, scoring just eight from the first two overs, as the ball swung.

Left hand batsman Sai Sudharsan scored 96 runs from 47 deliveries. He hit Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana for a 4 to get to his 50, finally succumbing to an LBW from a Pathirana delivery.

Orange cap holder Gill was dismissed for 39 runs off 20 balls by Chennai skipper Dhoni, who stumped him post a Ravindra Jadeja delivery. Dhoni’s reaction time when he stumped Gill was 0.1 second

Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first in the delayed game. Originally scheduled for Sunday, the game was moved to Monday due to heavy downpour and thunderstorms that battered the western city.

Gujarat Titans scored 86 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in the first 10 overs of the game, and later went on to score 143 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the first 15 overs.

Wriddhiman Saha departed after scoring 54 from 39 deliveries. Saha mishit the ball, trying to play a pull shot off Deepak Chahar’s delivery. The ball went straight up and MS Dhoni caught the ball. Left hand batter Sai Sudharshan also scored a half century from 33 deliveries. He hit Sri Lanka’s Pathirana for a 4 to get to his 50.With rain predicted and dark clouds hovering, Dhoni, who is playing his 250th IPL match, preferred to field first. Chennai have gone with the same team that beat Gujarat in the first play-off last week.

The final is believed to be Dhoni’s last as a player and thousands of fans wearing the superstar cricketer’s yellow jersey have returned to the 132,000-capacity stadium after the previous day’s disappointment.

Dhoni & Co. are looking to equal the trophy record held by Mumbai Indians, who have won five trophies to Chennai’s four.

Gujarat have extended their fairytale journey, which began with a title win in their debut season last year at the same venue. Skipper Hardik Pandya returns with the same team that hammered Mumbai in the final playoff.

With inputs from AFP