"I had a can of Red Bull to get sharp and awake again" - Devon Conway recalls three-day IPL 2023 final
New Zealand and Chennai Super Kings opener Devon Conway revealed that batting coach Michael Hussey advised him to drink Re Bull to keep himself awake for the IPL 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans.
Due to persistent rain in Ahmedabad on May 28, the final had to be moved to the reserve day. However, showers interrupted play after Gujarat Titans' innings on the reserve day. As a result, the match took place overnight, with the Super Kings needing to chase down 171 in 15 overs.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Conway admitted that it was unsettling not knowing about the resumption time and mentioned that the team had plenty of tea amid the continuous rain. He said:
"Very unique - an emotional rollercoaster. I had many cups of chai just to keep myself going that late at night when we were all waiting during the rain break, not knowing how many overs we'd get in our chase.
"It was a little unsettling. Just before going in to bat, Mike Hussey [batting coach] told me, 'Mate, think you want a can of Red Bull to stay awake?' It was hard to stay mentally switched on, given how late it was. So I had a can of Red Bull to get sharp and awake again."
When asked about their celebrations, Conway said the team celebrated till nine in the morning and that staff members either had to cancel their flights or postpone their travel. He recalled:
"It was crazy. A number of the players missed their flights. Moeen Ali and family postponed their travel by a day. Eric Simons [bowling consultant] canceled his flight. Dwaine Pretorius also missed his flight; only his family somehow managed to get there in time.
"We all sat around in the team room and celebrated till about 9 am in the morning, soaking in the highs and lows. MS Dhoni was right in the middle of it all."
B Sai Sudharsan mustered 96 after CSK put the Titans in to bat as they finished with 214 in 20 overs. However, Conway emerged as their man of the moment, mustering 47 off 25 balls after the revised target.
"Sai Sudharsan played an unbelievable knock" - Devon Conway
The 31-year-old went on to state that Sai Sudharsan deserved the Player of the Match award more than him. He explained:
"I thought Sai Sudharsan played an unbelievable knock. Jaddu himself had an incredible game with bat and ball. Ambati Rayudu's cameo didn't seem like much but it was certainly game-changing. So yeah, I was surprised, but at the end of the day, I don't worry about winning or missing out on individual awards."
bit.ly/TATAIPL-2023-F…6️⃣4️⃣4️⃣4️⃣
@sais_1509 on song 🔥🔥
Can he finish on a high for @gujarat_titans? 🤔
Follow the match ▶️ bit.ly/TATAIPL-2023-F…
#TATAIPL | #Final | #CSKvGT https://t.co/z7qL4Dav1w
Having labeled IPL 2023 as the biggest win of his career, the southpaw conceded that his New Zealand teammates kept bantering him for his comments. Conway said:
"It was about 3.30 am in the morning. We were going through so many emotions, and I probably said it without realizing what I meant.
"Of course, winning the WTC final was unbelievable and truly a highlight, but certainly this win was also very much up there with what I've achieved so far. A few [New Zealand] lads kept bantering with me for a few hours after that but it was all good."
The New Zealander finished as CSK's highest run-scorer in IPL 2023 with 672 runs.