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Rinku Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy get their jerseys signed (Source: Twitter)
On Sunday, May 14, at Chepauk in Chennai, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hosted Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 61 of the IPL 2023. While KKR had no choice but to win to maintain their chances of finishing in the top four, a victory for CSK would have guaranteed their entry into the playoffs.
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After the game, The CSK team and MS Dhoni completed a lap of honour around the stadium to thank the crowd for their support, as this was the final league game to be played in Chennai this season. The first two playoff games are scheduled at the location, and CSK is expected to participate in at least one of them if they qualify by winning their final game or other favourable outcomes occur.
Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary Indian batsman and pundit, approached Dhoni as the players were doing the lap of honour and asked him to sign his shirt. This kind act warmed everyone's hearts. Dhoni, who was a little surprised, signed the shirt and gave a hearty embrace to the renowned batsman, considered one of the best batters the nation has ever produced in Test cricket. Later, KKR players Varun Chakaravarthy and Rinku Singh also got their jerseys signed.
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KKR defeated CSK by 6 wickets
The toss was won by CSK captain MS Dhoni, who elected to bat first. However, for once, none of his batters was able to profit, as Ruturaj Gaikwad (17), Devon Conway (30), and Ajinkya Rahane (16) all made promising starts but were unable to turn them into substantial runs.
The most significant contribution came from Shivam Dube (48*), who helped CSK reach 144/6 in their 20 overs. The hosts were troubled by Ravindra Jadeja's sluggish innings of 24-ball 20, as it left Dhoni facing just the final two balls, in which he was still unbeaten on two. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine each claimed two wickets. In response, KKR lost the quick wickets of Venkatesh Iyer, Jason Roy, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, falling to 33/3 in the fifth over as Deepak Chahar claimed all three of their victims.
The innings were stabilised by the captain Nitish Rana (57*) and Rinku Singh (54), who also scored half-centuries, and they combined for 99 runs for the fourth wicket to give KKR the much-needed victory, which they achieved by six wickets with nine balls remaining.