The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 finally reached a spectacular climax at Narendra Modi Stadium with a last-over thriller between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after 73 grueling games. The MS Dhoni-led squad is currently tied with the Mumbai Indians as the competition’s most successful team over the past 16 seasons thanks to their fifth triumph.
With the help of Ravindra Jadeja’s outstanding finishing touches, CSK continued to pursue the 171-run goal despite being forced to abandon the run chase due to rain on the penultimate ball.
For CSK, each batter contributed significantly in the batting department. In reference to this, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif congratulated Ambati Rayudu of CSK for a crucial inning of 19 off 8 in the championship game. Given that this was Rayudu’s final game, he started off with a bang, scoring 16 runs off the first three balls he faced against Mohit Sharma.
Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Kaif lauded the former Indian batsman and asserted that the setting of the game made his inning unquestionably a game-changing one. The 42-year-old continued by claiming that Rayudu’s backfooted six was the best stroke of the competition. The right-handed hitter also claimed that the shot was an exact replica of Virat Kohli’s renowned six against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.
Kaif lauds Rayadu
“That impactful knock from Ambati Rayudu was the game-changing moment. His innings was very crucial in the context of the game. The six he hit going on the back foot was the shot of the tournament for me. It was identical to that iconic six which Virat Kohli hit in the T20 World Cup against Pakistan in Melbourne last year. Rayudu looked emotional but full credit to him for ending his IPL career on such a high,” Kaif said.
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