Despite suffering a defeat in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Hardik Pandya expressed his pride in his team’s performance. He further stated that if he had to lose the title, he would prefer losing it to CSK captain MS Dhoni. In a thrilling match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Ravindra Jadeja’s heroics with a six and a four off the last two balls secured the fifth IPL title for CSK, as they won by five wickets against the defending champions, the Gujarat Titans.
Jadeja’s unbeaten 15 runs off 6 balls, along with valuable contributions from Devon Conway (47 off 25), Ruturaj Gaikwad (26 off 16), and Shivam Dube (32 not out off 21), guided CSK to successfully chase down the revised target of 171 runs from 15 overs in the rain-shortened final. Ajinkya Rahane (27 off 13) and Ambati Rayudu (19 off 8) also played crucial cameos to support the chase.
During the post-match presentation, Pandya expressed his happiness for MS Dhoni, acknowledging that it was destiny for him to win the title. He stated that if he had to lose, he would prefer losing to Dhoni, considering him one of the best people he knows. Pandya emphasized that good things happen to good people, and he believed it was Dhoni’s night to shine.
Pandya also praised the exceptional batting performance of Sai Sudharsan, who played a remarkable innings of 96 runs off 47 balls for the Gujarat Titans. Sudharsan received support from Wriddhiman Saha, who contributed 54 runs off 39 balls, and Shubman Gill, who scored 39 runs off 20 balls. Their collective efforts propelled the Gujarat Titans to post a challenging total of 214 for 4. However, rain interrupted the match, and it was ultimately reduced to a 15-over contest.
Reflecting on his team’s overall performance, Pandya mentioned that the Gujarat Titans ticked a lot of boxes and played with a lot of heart. He expressed his pride in the team’s fighting spirit and their commitment to the motto of “We win together, we lose together.” Pandya acknowledged that CSK played better cricket on the day and credited their victory. He specifically mentioned the outstanding performance of Sai Sudharsan and applauded the efforts of other players like Mohit, Rashid, and Shami.
In conclusion, although the Gujarat Titans fell short in the IPL 2023 final, Pandya expressed his pride in the team’s efforts and gave credit to CSK for their victory. He praised the individual brilliance of Sai Sudharsan and commended the overall unity and determination of his team. Despite the loss, Pandya maintained a gracious and sportsmanlike attitude, acknowledging the deserving champions and their captain, MS Dhoni.
