Chennai beats Gujarat to reach Indian Premier League final

CHENNAI, India: Chennai Super Kings powered their way to a record-breaking 10th Indian Premier League final with a 15-run win over defending champion Gujarat Titans in the playoffs on Tuesday.

Gujarat will have another chance to meet Chennai in the final when they take on the winner of Wednesday’s playoff between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.

Opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scored in the match with 60 off 44 balls before cameos from the Chennai middle-order batters guided the home team to 172-7.

Chennai didn’t deviate from their perfect bowling script of squeezing the teams through spinners in the middle overs as Gujarat got bowled out for 157 off the final ball.

It was a remarkable turnaround for four-time champions Chennai this season after finishing ninth last year.

“I think IPL is too big to say it is just another final,” Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “Ten teams makes it all the more tougher. Everyone has contributed. Yes, middle order hasn’t got ample opportunity but they have chipped in.”

Gujarat, one of the best chasers in the IPL, couldn’t get momentum in the run-chase when fast bowler Deepak Chahar (2-29) continued to excel in the powerplay and had Wriddhiman Saha caught in the deep in the third over.

Even Shubman Gill, who came into the playoff with two successive centuries, struggled to get going against hard lengths of Chennai bowlers to score 42 off 38 balls before Chahar also had him caught in the deep off a brilliant short ball in his return spell.

Spinners Ravindra Jadeja (2-18) and Maheesh Theekshana (2-28) then squeezed the runs in the middle overs as they found plenty of help off the wicket before Rashid Khan hit a rapid 30 off 16 balls to narrow down the defeat.

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