Watch: Stunning Fireworks Show Lights up Ahmedabad During IPL 2023 Final

The summit showdown of the IPL 2023 brought in a festive mood in Ahmedabad. An extravagant firework show coloured up the night sky above Narendra Modi Stadium during the final between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, May 29. A fan has dropped some glimpses of the glittery ceremony on Twitter. Overwhelmed by the stunning evening, the user titled the video, “Beauty beyond imagination.” Thousands of cricket enthusiasts turned up at the world’s largest cricket station to witness the closing ceremony of the cash-rich tournament with loud cheers buzzing around every nook and corner of the venue.

The cricket god wrote a dramatic script for the IPL 2023 final. The match, which was initially scheduled for Sunday, May 28, had to be shifted to the reserve day after heavy showers played a spoilsport in Ahmedabad. As per the revised schedule, the final began at 7:30 PM on Monday. There was no shortage of excitement among fans and the scene was quite remarkable at the venue.

Winning the toss, Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked Gujarat to bat first. Taking advantage of the flat Ahmedabad surface, the reigning champions put up an enthralling show with their openers in the groove. Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Shama provided a blistering start to their innings, maintaining a 10-plus run rate during the powerplay.

After Gill departed for 39, Saha appeared to be more dangerous. The wicketkeeper-batter notched up a crucial half-century before leaving the ground for 54 runs. Then Sai Sudarshan, an uncapped Indian batter, took up the responsibility to accelerate the innings and succeeded in the task. He handed a nightmarish memory to the Chennai bowlers, smashing them all around the park. Powered by Sudarshan’s 47-ball 96 and a brief cameo from skipper Hardik Pandya, Gujarat posted a massive 2014 runs on the board.

When everything was going as per the plan, the rain god had a different plan for the second innings. Moments after Chennai’s openers came in the middle, the rain started pouring again, leading to a tense scenario among the fans. The showers did not last long but the wet outfield condition worried the umpires. Following a series of inspections, they decided to resume the proceedings at 12:10 AM. The revised target for Chennai was 171 runs which they had to chase in 15 overs as per the DLS method.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway lived up to the expectations and gave Chennai a perfect start to the chase. The duo stitched a 74-run partnership before Gaikwad lost his wicket due to an immature shot selection. Conway, along with Shivam Dube, kept the show going while dishing out occasional boundaries. The Gujarat spinners tried to slow down the run flow with some tight bowling. But Chennai were in no mood to give up early.

Riding on a collective effort by Dube, Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu, Chennai reached a situation where they had to cover 13 runs in the last over. Gujarat seamer Mohit Sharma started well, conceding only three runs in his first four deliveries. But he failed to hold his nerve with Ravindra Jadeja stealing the show in the dying moment. The Indian all-rounder got the job done by striking a six in the penultimate ball before registering the winning four to finish off the chase in style. In regard to their 5-wicket victory, MS Dhoni-led Chennai lifted their fifth IPL trophy.