M.S. Dhoni, the renowned Indian cricket player, expressed his intention to participate in the upcoming IPL season following his leadership of the Chennai Super Kings to a historic fifth title triumph against the Gujarat Titans. Many speculated that this could potentially be Dhoni’s final match.

In a rain-affected final that extended past 1:30 am local time on Tuesday, after a washout on Sunday, Chennai successfully chased down a revised target of 171 runs in 15 overs with five wickets remaining. Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial role by hitting a six and a four off the final two deliveries. The chase was initially led by New Zealand’s Devon Conway, who scored a rapid 47 off 25 balls, supported by contributions from Ajinkya Rahane (27) and Shivam Dube, who remained unbeaten on 32. Despite Mohit Sharma bowling four excellent balls in the final over, Jadeja’s match-winning shots triggered exuberant celebrations at the largest cricket stadium in the world.

In the aftermath of the victory, a reflective Dhoni contemplated retirement but ultimately decided to work hard for another IPL season. At the age of 41, he acknowledged the overwhelming love he received from fans and the emotional atmosphere during matches, particularly at CSK’s home ground. Dhoni expressed his gratitude to the supporters and revealed his intention to continue playing, recognizing that it would be a challenging endeavor physically.

Chennai’s fifth title win in the IPL brought them on par with the Mumbai Indians in terms of the most championships secured. Throughout the season, Dhoni continued to attract massive crowds, and in the final, over 80,000 fans cheered for the veteran cricketer. Dhoni’s personal performance in the final was disappointing as he was dismissed for a first-ball duck, leading to a stunned silence. However, he had the last laugh as the captain of the Chennai Super Kings, securing victory in his tenth appearance in an IPL final.

Ambati Rayudu, who had announced his retirement prior to the final, made a valuable contribution of 19 runs off eight balls in his last match. Rain interrupted the game when Chennai had just begun their innings, but after a delay of about 15 minutes, the groundstaff worked diligently for over two hours to prepare the field for play.

Gujarat, last year’s debut season champions and table-toppers in the current edition, were led by Sai Sudharsan’s spectacular knock of 96 off 47 balls, propelling them to a total of 214-4. Despite their efforts, Gujarat fell short in the final. Hardik Pandya, the team’s captain, praised his team’s resilience and team spirit, emphasizing their motto of sticking together through victories and defeats.

Shubman Gill, Gujarat’s in-form opener, was awarded the orange cap as the leading batsman of the tournament, having scored 890 runs. Mohammed Shami, Gujarat’s pace spearhead, earned the purple cap as the tournament’s top bowler, claiming 28 wickets, closely followed by Mohit Sharma and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, each with 27 wickets.

Gill, coming off a remarkable season with his third century, was given a lifeline when Deepak Chahar dropped a straightforward catch off the bowling of Tushar Deshpande. Gill capitalized on the opportunity by hitting three consecutive boundaries in the following over. However, his aggressive innings was halted by Dhoni’s lightning-quick stumping off Jadeja. Gill’s opening partner, Wriddhiman Saha, contributed 54 runs and shared a 64-run partnership with Sudharsan, who took charge after Saha’s dismissal.