Chennai win fifth IPL title in Dhoni’s likely swansong

AFP | Ahmedabad

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and four off the last two balls as Chennai Super Kings edged out Gujarat Titans to win a record-equalling fifth IPL title and send superstar M.S. Dhoni out with a bang in his likely swansong.

Chennai chased down their revised target of 171 in 15 overs with five wickets to spare in a rain-hit IPL final which went past 1.30 am local time on a reserve day in Ahmedabad following a washout on Sunday.

New Zealand’s Devon Conway led the chase with his 25- ball 47 before cameos from Ajinkya Rahane (27) and Shivam Dube, who hit an unbeaten 32, set the stage for Jadeja’s heroics.

Needing 13 off the final over, Mohit Sharma bowled four good balls before Jadeja hit the winning runs to trigger wild celebrations at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.

Chennai won the title for the fifth time to go level with Mumbai Indians.

The match is likely to be Dhoni’s last of his glittering career as the 41-year-old kept attracting huge crowds across venues this season and over 80,000 fans cheered the veteran, who had said he will take a call on his future later this year, in the final.

Playing his 250th IPL match, Dhoni got out for a first-ball duck as he went back to a stunned silence, but he had the last laugh in his 10th appearance in the final as Chennai captain.