‘Never bet against MS Dhoni’ – Ian Bishop exclaims on air after CSK clinch IPL 2023 title in thrilling fashion

Finally, the biggest extravaganza in franchise cricket came to an emphatic end in the most thrilling way possible. It took almost three days for deciding who was to lift the IPL 2023 trophy. But eventually, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in a rain-shortened championship match on a very late Monday night, and it was the winning boundary from Ravindra Jadeja that helped them win a record-equaling fifth IPL championship.

The fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium erupted when Jadeja flicked a low toss from Mohit Sharma between short fine leg and the wicketkeeper for four, earning CSK their fifth title. Even the likes of MS Dhoni, who rarely shows emotions, lifted Jadeja out of sheer joy in an emotional and heartwarming moment.

The experts in the commentary box, Ravi Shastri, Ian Bishop, and Kevin Pietersen, lived in the moment as CSK amassed the required 13 runs in the last over in their closely contested pursuit of 171. A video of Jadeja’s winning boundary strike, which left the trio with conflicted emotions, surfaced soon after the game ended. 

While holding up his left fist in the air, Shastri stood up to see if the ball had actually reached the boundary. “Never bet against MS Dhoni and CSK,” Bishop said.

Pietersen showed signs of shock and disbelief after witnessing what had happened, and it seemed that perhaps he was too engrossed in the action, and was stunned as a few CSK players ran towards the center while Jadeja savored the moment.

Having put to bat first after losing the toss, GT posted a gigantic 214 runs on board with useful contributions coming from Wriddhiman Saha (54) and Sai Sudharsan (96). In a rain-curtailed second innings, CSK were given a target of 171 runs in 15 overs. Despite regular hiccups, CSK were able to chase down the target on the last ball of the innings. It is to be noted that the entire team contributed in this chase, with Jadeja finishing it off with a six and a four on the last two deliveries of the game.