"The script was written" - Tom Moody on MS Dhoni and Co. winning IPL 2023 final

Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody believes that the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) revolved around the story of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni.

Moody reckoned that the competition ended on an ideal note, with Dhoni and Co. winning their fifth title.

The Chennai-based team secured a thrilling five-wicket win (DLS method) over defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29.

Reacting to CSK's emphatic victory, Tom Moody told ESPNcricinfo:

"It was nearly like the script was written. The whole story this year seemed to be around MS Dhoni, and it just had to be the last ball, didn't it? Just to sign it off for the yellow."

The IPL 2023 final between Chennai and Gujarat was a closely fought contest. GT posted a mammoth 214-run total, the highest ever in an IPL final. However, with rain playing spoilsport after the first innings, CSK were handed a revised target of 171 in 15 overs.

Chennai ultimately won the last-ball thriller, with Ravindra Jadeja hitting 10 runs off the final two deliveries to seal the game for his side.

Tom Moody feels that the final did justice to the high-octane season. He pointed out how there were a number of spectacular performances in IPL 2023.

Moody also highlighted that from the crowds turning up in big numbers to several youngsters performing well on the big stage, there are many important takeaways in IPL 2023.

"Remarkable final, fitting for a remarkable tournament," Moody said. "This year has been a pretty special tournament overall, given we had crowds back, we had home-and-away, and we had the story of MS Dhoni that seemed to follow CSK wherever they went around the country."

"We saw more scores over 200 than we have ever seen before, we have seen some young stars beyond their dreams, another one tonight in Sai Sudharsan," he added.

Wow! What a dream final it has been! Chennai Super Kings, 5th time champions, congratulations!
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It is worth mentioning that MS Dhoni has now become the second captain after Rohit Sharma to win five IPL trophies. From finishing in the penultimate place in the points table last year to taking home the silverware this time, Chennai completed a brilliant turnaround in this year's cash-rich league.

"Barring MS Dhoni, everybody came in and played those innings of 20s, 30s and 40s" - Sanjay Manjrekar on CSK's batting performance in IPL 2023 final

During the aforementioned discussion, Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out how all the Chennai batters were able to make a significant impact in the most important fixture of the season.

Manjrekar highlighted that while MS Dhoni endured a failure, the remaining players in CSK's batting lineup chipped in with useful knocks at impressive strike rates. The former Indian cricketer also lauded Ravindra Jadeja for his last-over heroics.

"When you look at CSK's batting card, barring MS Dhoni, everybody came in and played those innings of 20s, 30s and 40s at an unbelievable strike rate," Manjrekar said. "In the end, Jadeja getting a six and four, just to top up the kind of career that he has had in white-ball cricket in the last two years."

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Chennai Super Kings are five-time IPL Champions 🟡

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Devon Conway was the top performer with the bat for CSK, playing a crucial 47-run knock at the top. The likes of Shivam Dube (32*), Ajinkya Rahane (27), Ruturaj Gaikwad (26), Ambati Rayudu (19) and Jadeja (15*) also came up with valuable contributions.

Dhoni, however, was dismissed for a golden duck in the encounter. The swashbuckling batter perished to Mohit Sharma, giving a simple catch to David Miller at extra cover. However, it didn't matter at the end as Chennai won the match by five wickets.