Twitter wasn’t too happy with Irfan Pathan’s take on the IPL 2023 final, where CSK defeated GT in a rain-hit match.
The Chennai Super Kings registered a resounding win over Gujarat Titans in the final of the Indian Premier League on Monday night. The MS Dhoni-led side lifted a fifth IPL title, securing a five-wicket win over the 2022 champions at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It was a rain-hit game on Monday as CSK’s run-chase was cut short by five overs – the side had only batted three deliveries when rain forced a halt in play.
With a 15-over game, the new playing conditions meant no bowler had the four-over quota for Gujarat Titans anymore, and former India bowler Irfan Pathan stated that it worked in CSK’s favour.
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“In a rain curtailed shortened final Yesterday CSK started batting with Shami. Rasid and Mohit losing one over each from their regular quota of 4 overs. That means league’s top 3 wicket takers were deprived of 18 balls and no wickets. That’s certainly played as an advantage to CSK,” Pathan wrote on his official Twitter account.
However, Pathan’s tweet was met with backlash from CSK fans, with many suggesting that the Super Kings batted out of their skins to chase the 171-run target in 15 overs.
Earlier, with 13 needed to win in the final over against Gujarat Titans, CSK managed only three runs off the first four balls before Ravindra Jadeja smashed Mohit Sharma for a six and a four off the last two deliveries to literally snatch the Cup from Gujarat’s grasp.
“They say there are no fairy tales in the sport, but it was a pretty good one today. It has been a bit difficult 18 months where, as the captaincy was difficult, the injury was difficult, it took a bit of time from out of the game for him to come back into and be reintegrated into the Test side, and then re-integrate into CSK,” head coach Stephen Fleming told the media after Chennai defeated Gujarat Titans in the IPL final.
In fact, Fleming had in huis mind conceded defeat before final two deliveries were bowled by Mohit and the Jadeja turned it all.
“We have lost finals on the last ball which is an absolute heartache. I was gearing up myself for another heartache when Jaddu hit one for six and there could have been more heartache or more joy, I was not sure.”