IPL 2023 final Last Over- Shivam Dube and Jadeja knew that they only required two good shots and were confident that it would be enough to secure a win.
In a bid to secure a memorable victory for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Shivam Dube engaged in a crucial conversation with Ravindra Jadeja when just 13 runs separated their side from success. With the night getting later and crunch moments increasing, the duo agreed that they needed only two big shots to triumph. And with that mindset, they pressed forward to see their team through to a thrilling finish.
“During our last conversation, we agreed that we needed to hit two great shots – whether that meant two fours or two sixes. I felt confident that we couldn’t lose from that point on,” Dube confided to The Indian Express. It was a flawless plan, with just two well-placed shots, CSK would clinch their fifth crown.
As much as we plan, not everything goes as expected, especially in high-stakes matches between two skilled opponents.
Hardik Pandya, the skipper of Gujarat Titans, placed his trust in Mohit Sharma, his most reliable and in-form pacer, by handing him the ball for the last over. Sharma, a pacer who had been a part of the Indian 50-over World Cup team in 2015, had an intriguing journey from being a mere net bowler to a key player for Gujarat Titans.
Only someone with experience and mental toughness could have endured those heart-stopping moments. The packed stadium, with a crowd of more than 80,000 spectators, could hardly have asked for more than this thrilling nail-biter.
Mohit Sharma on IPL 2023 Final Last Over
Sharma reminisces about those defining moments and recalls how he kept his focus, enabling him to persist with admirable clarity of purpose. Having already trained himself in such situations, he was well prepared for the predicament. When asked about his approach, the Haryana speedster expressed, “Let me bowl nothing but yorkers, sticking to my intuition.” Bolstering his own instincts, Sharma executed his plans masterfully. After four balls, CSK had only notched up three runs with one golden dot ball to his name.
CSK fans flocked from across India to Ahmedabad, enduring a two-day journey and an alcohol dry-state, all to witness a potential swansong from MS Dhoni. Although rumors had been rife that this IPL season might be his last, he was dismissed on the first ball. Agonizing looks in the CSK dressing room revealed what they feared – would Dube or Jadeja be the saviors they needed? The first few balls were clearly going to be a test against some tough opponents.
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Dube praised Sharma’s phenomenal bowling. “We were defenseless against it,” the CSK batsman remarked. “We tried everything we could, but Mohit bhai deserves all the credit for the way he bowled.”
Sharma recalled how, after being hit for a six, he had to gather himself and believe in his ability to turn the tide. All those years of practice had bled into this crucial moment. He thought back to nets, where his teammates had often thrown challenges at him during match simulations, and how he had returned the favor with a smile on his face.
Attempted yorker on Every Ball
According to Sharma, his attempted delivery was to pitch the ball close to the batsman’s toes—a quintessential yorker.
“I bowled and attempted a yorker,” he explains, “I was determined and confident in my abilities, a mindset which I had throughout the IPL. Unfortunately, I delivered the ball outside of its intended target, and Jadeja managed to hit it with his bat. I put forth my best effort, but sometimes things just don’t go as planned.”
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Jadeja was the undisputed king of the night. He sprinted with such speed and ferocity, it was perhaps his personal best. After the match, Dube was eager to congratulate him with a high-five, but Jadeja was already in the Gujarat Titans’ dressing room without even a glance backward. “He ran like the wind,” Dube fondly recalls. His sharp turn around the corner evoked the image of a descending airplane.
Afterward, he retreated to the dressing room and slumped into a corner. That’s when Ashish Nehra, coach of Gujarat, approached him and offered a word of reassurance, telling him that he’d given it his all. The final result was something beyond his control.
CSK had a night they will never forget, as they clinched a thrilling victory. Meanwhile, in the Gujarat camp, a few were kept awake by the thought of missing out by just a whisker.