IPL 2023 Final: Ambati Rayudu fulfills dream of 'fairytale finish' to career

The spotlight fell primarily on MS Dhoni in the early hours of Tuesday morning after ‘Captain Cool’ led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title with a victory over Gujarat Titans in the star-studded final in Ahmedabad.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja would steal some of his thunder with two outrageous shots off the last two deliveries of the tournament, sealing the dramatic victory and regaining the love and respect of the ‘Yellow Army’ that appeared to have been lost or strained during the course of the season.

It was an emotional affair for MSD and for the rest of the team, and rightly so, given the speculation surrounding his possible retirement at the end of the season, although Dhoni would later hint at making another appearance in the yellow jersey.

There was one individual who did not hog as much of the limelight as some of the others did during the title celebrations. Ambati Rayudu had already announced his intention to hang up his boots after the final regardless of the result.

The mercurial individual that he is, Rayudu had abruptly announced his international retirement in 2019 after not getting picked by the Indian team for the World Cup in England that year. He would pull off a similar move in the IPL last year, announcing it to be his final season in a tweet only to delete it later and cause confusion among journalists and fans.

Read | Rayudu does not regret ‘3D glasses’ comment post-World Cup snub

This time, however, there was a sense of finality in his decision to hang up his boots and Rayudu himself promised he would not be making a “U-turn” on his decision. And when the time came for one last swing of the bat, Rayudu sure made it count.

2 great teams mi nd csk,204 matches,14 seasons,11 playoffs,8 finals,5 trophies.hopefully 6th tonight. It’s been quite a journey.I have decided that tonight’s final is going to be my last game in the Ipl.i truly hav enjoyed playing this great tournament.Thank u all. No u turn