GT vs CSK: Gujarat Titans break SunRisers Hyderabad's 7-year-old record in IPL Finals

Gujarat Titans broke SunRisers Hyderbad’s record to register the highest-ever total in an IPL Final. The defending champions put up 214 for 4 in the first innings in the IPL 2023 Final against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

GT registered the highest-ever total in an IPL Final, going past SRH's tally of 208 for 7 in the final of IPL 2016 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

After winning the toss, MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl first. Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha got GT off to an incredible start, registering the highest-ever score in the Powerplay of an IPL Final. After a slow start in the first two overs, both Gill and Saha went hell for leather to get the Titans off to a flyer. Saha took on CSK pacer Deepak Chahar in the third over, smashing him for a six and a couple of fours.

In the very next over, Gill hammered fast-bowler Tushar Deshpande for three consecutive boundaries before repeating the trick against spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the sixth over. The Titans put up 62 runs in the first six overs, going past Mumbai Indians’ previous record of 61 runs (2016 and 2020 finals) in the Powerplay of an IPL Final.

However, right after the Powerplay, Gill lost his wicket thanks to an amazing stumping display from CSK skipper MS Dhoni in the seventh over, bringing an end to their 67-run partnership. Saha then switched gears and played cautious cricket for the next few overs and



kept the scoreboard ticking alongside B Sai Sudharsan.

The two batters broke free in the 12th over, which saw Saha smash CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana for a couple of boundaries, before the two batters combined to hit spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for 15 runs in the very next over, an over that saw Saha complete his second half-century of the season.

However, Deepak Chahar bowled a fantastic 14th over, dismissing Saha and giving away just seven runs. Saha scored 54 runs in 39 balls, hitting five boundaries and solitary six. Sai Sudharsan then took over reins from Saha and started attacking, smashing Theekshana for a couple of sixes in the 15th over, before coming back to hit the Chennai pacer for 20 runs in the 17th over.

GT captain Hardik Pandya joined the party in the 18th over, as he, along with Sai Sudharsan, hammered Deshpande for 18 runs in the penultimate over. Sai Sudharsan then smashed Pathirana for two back-to-back sixes in the final over before being dismissed on the third delivery of the 20th over, missing out on a memorable century by just four runs. Sai Sudharsan scored 96 runs off 47 balls, hitting eight boundaries and six maximums.

Pathirana got rid of Rashid Khan on the final ball of the innings as GT ended with 214 for 4 after 20 overs. Pathirana was the pick of the CSK bowlers, claiming two wickets and giving away 44 runs, while Deshpande was the most expensive bowler, leaking 56 runs in his four overs.