CSK are champions: MS Dhoni invites Ravindra Jadeja and retiring Ambati Rayudu to collect the trophy. That will be all for this blog. Thanks for joining us.

MS Dhoni (not verbatim): The easy decision would be say to thank you, but the harder decision is to try and play one more season. But it depends on the body, and I want to try over the next six months.

Orange Cap for the most runs: Shubman Gill

Purple Cap for the most wickets: Mohammed Shami

Catch of the season: Rashid Khan

Longest six of the season: Faf du Plessis

Most fours of the season: Shubman Gill

Most Valuable Player of the season: Shubman Gill. What a year it has been for him.

Super striker of the season: Glenn Maxwell

Emerging player of the year: Yashasvi Jaiswal. Absolutely no arguments there.

Player of the final: Devon Conway

2.25 am: Despite everything they have had to go through, great credit to the fans. They might not be treated that way, but the cricket fans are really something else in India.

2.15 am: Beyond 2 am and they are still taking their own sweet time to start the presentations... which will have a laundry list of awards too. Maybe sometimes we would be better off than to romanticise these things.

CSK win by 5 wickets to win their 5th title: Some wonderful interviews going on. Rayudu is emotional, as he bows out from IPL with a sixth title to his name.

CSK win by 5 wickets to win their 5th title: What a finish by Jadeja, what a cameo by Rayudu to bow out with. And Chin up, Mohit Sharma. What a comeback season.

14.6: It’s come down to the last ball once again for CSK. They are one ball away from title No 5 or another defeat in a final... Mohit and Hardik have a chat. ON THE PADS AND JADEJA HiTS A FOUR.

14.5: A SIX DOWN THE GROUND! Jadeja goes big. Mohit misses the length just a bit. And it goes the distance! 4 off 1 ball needed.

14.4: A mini conference between Mohit and Hardik. Will he keep with the yorkers? Low full toss and it is a single! What an over. 10 off 2 balls.

14.3: Another really good full length ball and Jadeja can only manage a single. All at pace, all full. 11 off 3 balls.

14.2: Another really superb delivery from Mohit, Dube can’t get underneath it. 12 off 4 balls, Jadeja on strike.

14.1: Dot ball. Superb yorker from Mohit. 13 off 5 balls.

CSK 150/5 after 14 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): A really good penultimate over by Shami. No boundaries off the first five balls... nearly a wicket off the last ball but Jadeja’s mishit falls in no man’s land. They run 2. 13 needed off the last over. Dube on strike.

Shami with a huge over coming up. 21 off 12 balls needed.

CSK 150/5 after 14 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Game-changing over by Mohit Sharma. But remains to be seen for which side.

WICKET! 12.5: MS Dhoni 0(1) ct David Miller b Mohit Sharma WOW! That was in the slot to be put away but the CSK talisman finds the fielder at cover. Hope again for GT? Chennai Super Kings 149/5

In walks Dhoni. 22 off 14 balls.

WICKET! 12.4: Ambati Rayudu 19(8) ct & b Mohit Sharma What a way to go out. In a blaze! A superb cameo by Rayudu, as he smacks 6. 4. 6 and then is out caught by Mohit. Chennai Super Kings 149/4

Another timeout because... why not, eh? 38 needed off 3 overs for CSK.

CSK 133/3 after 12 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): And off the last two balls, Dube just turns things around completely. Frustration earlier in the Rashid over, smashes his pads wit the bat... gets back on strike for the last two balls and smacks two straight sixes. What an over!

Dube is struggling here. Rashid to bowl his third. Rayudu comes out.

WICKET! 10.5: Ajinkya Rahane 27(13) ct Vijay Shankar b Mohit Sharma End of a fine innings, and a really solid redemptive season for Rahane with the bat. A terrific cameo this but the change of pace from Mohit does the trick again. Just over 100kph that ball. Chennai Super Kings 117/3

Mohit into the attack. Pace off.

CSK 110/2 after 10 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Rahane is playing the innings Dube was promoted for! What a knock so far. Two fours to close that Rashid over. He has gone to 26 off 11 balls.

CSK 99/2 after 9 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): What a spell from Noor! Finishes with 2/17 in his 3 overs. Match-winning stuff that. Just 5 runs in that over and no connection for Dube despite trying to wind up and go big.

77 needed off 7 overs,

CSK 94/2 after 8 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Rahane! Two superbly timed shots for two sixes in that Little over. The second one a delightful lofted straight drive.

WICKET! 6.6: Devon Conway 47(25) ct Mohit Sharma b Noor Ahmad Is that the game? Not just two big wickets, but also just 6 runs in that over. 2/12 for Noor. The momentum has gone out of CSK’s chase. Chennai Super Kings 78/2

WICKET! 6.3: Ruturaj Gaikwad 26(16) ct Rashid Khan b Noor Ahmad Ruturaj Gaikwad falls and Shivam Dube comes in as the Impact Player. Not the worst wicket to lose for CSK here. Noor strikes for GT. Chennai Super Kings 74/1

CSK need 99 off 9 overs.

CSK 72/0 after 6 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Was shaping into a good over from little with 8 runs off five balls, but Conway finds the timing on that pull shot for a six over midwicket.

Time for Josh Little.

CSK 58/0 after 5 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Every such over is god-send for GT. Really good stuff from Noor, just six off it.

CSK 52/0 after 4 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): HUGE OVER. Going after Rashid, then. With the resources left, there is actually a good case for just keeping the foot on the pedal throughout. A good powerplay for CSK. A four for Conway and then a six and four for Gaikwad. They are on track here.

Reminder: This 4th over is the last over of powerplay. Rashid will look for a breakthrough.

Rashid time. What will CSK’s approach be?

CSK 35/0 after 3 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): Two fours for Conway through the leg side but Shami comes back well to limit the damage in that over. Not like a 24-run over against Tilak.

Shami will continue.

CSK 24/0 after 2 overs (Target 171 in 15 overs): A six for Conway over point in that Pandya over, nicely timed, safe shot. Then puts one away on the pads through fine leg for fourr. A par start to the chase for CSK now.

CSK 10/0 after 1 over (Target 171 in 15 overs): Gaikwad finishes that over with a four through square leg.

Gaikwad and Conway in the middle. Shami will finish the first over. There is still a lot of noise in the arena.

UPDATE: 15 over-chase, with CSK’s target to be 171 as per Star Sports.

UPDATE: 15 over-chase, with CSK’s target to be 170 as per Star Sports.

UPDATE: 15 over-chase to begin at 12.10 am. Hardik Pandya and Ashish Nehra having more chats with Javagal Srinath.

Celebrations in team sports are a common sight but what we see in a volleyball court is often unique. Every point is an event.

Team-spirit and momentum: Why volleyball players celebrate nearly each point won with gusto

11.39 pm: We will start losing overs at 11.45 pm.

11.35 pm: The wet pitch has been covered and the roller is working on it, but it still seems soft. The water that went on that outside pitch has really damaged the case for restart. When you see these many footmarks... not sure it is safe. There might be another inspection, if I have to guess.

11.30 pm: Another inspection about to begin.

11.25 pm: On Star Sports (apart from doing some garba and cracking some bizarre jokes) Kevin Pietersen tells us that the players are still keen to play the full 20 overs for everything the fans have gone through.

11.00 pm: Next inspection at 11.30 pm as per the broadcasters.

10.47 pm: The GT captain had an animated chat with the umpires when they walked out, then the umpires are now taking a look at the wet pitch that has now been covered with something and being rolled on.

10.45 pm: The umpires are walking onto the field for their inspection.

10.41 pm: They are throwing some sort of mud onto that wet practice match.

Rain stops play: The practice pitch seems to be really wet at the moment. Surely that won’t dry quickly? Inspection at 10.45 pm, we are told.

DLS stuff: OK, this is a bit more clearer.

10.12 pm: The broadcaster says the rain has stopped, the covers should start coming off soon. But there are some puddles around the edges.

10.07 pm: Fans are the backbone... but apparently everything can be done to make their experience less than ideal, it would seems.

UPDATE: Simon Doull on broadcast just said we will not lose overs for another couple of hours. So, the full 20 overs could be played starting from midnight, by that statement.

CSK 4/0 after 0.3 overs: And here comes the rain as was predicted around this time.

We are still in the innings break, sigh.

Impact player: Sai Sudharsan replaced by Josh Little.

Huddle time: After a longer-than-usual half-time break, we are all set.

STAT: Conway has been dismissed twice in the previous two matches this season between these two by Shami.

GT 214/4 after 20 overs: The highest score yet in an IPL final.

GT 214/4 after 20 overs: What an innings from Sai, Chennai’s very own against the mighty CSK. Pathirana finishes the over well but that’s a huge total.

WICKET! 19.3: Sai Sudharsan 96 (47) lbw Matheesha Pathirana SIX, SIX, OUT. End of a stunning innings by Sai. Take a bow! Pathirana with a yorker-ish, but Sai might have been better off going down the ground as he had all night Gujarat Titans 212/3

GT 200/2 after 19 overs: A classic strike over extra cover and a mishit over long on, for two sixes for Hardik in that Desphande over.

Incredible from Dhoni (Image: JioCinema)

GT 182/2 after 18 overs: Considering how they were going, Pathirana with a decent over. Hardik struggling for timing. 9 runs without boundaries in that over

GT 173/2 after 17 overs: HUGE OVER! It starts with the most bizarre of sixes as Sai gets a top edge to an attempted scoop well outside off stump, the ball flies in the opposite direction over third. But nothing bizarre about the next three fours. 20 runs in that Deshpande over!

GT 153/2 after 16 overs: A couple of fours for Sudharsan off Pathirana. Top stuff from the left-hander, has moved through the gears nicely.

HALF CENTURY FOR SAI SUDHARSAN: The TN lad is turning it on against CSK. A 33-ball 52 for him.

GT 143/2 after 15 overs: An over of extremes from Theekshana to Sai Sudharsan. Two sixes over the legside and four dot balls interspersed.

WICKET! 13.6: Wriddhiman Saha 54(39) ct MS Dhoni b Deepak Chahar And something for Chahar to celebrate. Gets the wicket of a well-set Saha but maybe not the worst of things for GT, the back-end power-hitters can start to come in now. Gujarat Titans 131/2

GT 124/1 after 13 overs: Big wicket of Gill but expensive night for Jadeja. 4-0-38-1, as he goes for 15 in his final over with a six to Sai.

HALF CENTURY FOR SAHA: The 2014 IPL Final centurion is halfway there in 2023. Superb innings so far. 52* off 36 balls.

GT 109/1 after 12 overs: 4-wide-4-wide. Not the best of starts for Pathirana as Sai Sudharsan takes him on. And here comes the drizzle.

Pathirana time. Looked a bit shaky last match

GT 96/1 after 11 overs: Despite the wicket, Jadeja has been on the more expensive side here. Another four for Saha in that over. But not much more damage after that. GT still going well.

GT 86/1 after 10 overs: Solid from Theekshana again, no boundaries in that over.

GT 80/1 after 9 overs: Sai Sudharsan joins Saha in the middle. A four for Saha off Jadeja.

Video: Just... watch and be in awe.

GT 72/1 after 8 overs: Just 5 runs from Theekshana’s over. Is the CSK squeeze upon us.

WICKET! 6.6: Shubman Gill 39(20) st MS Dhoni b Ravindra Jadeja Wow, wow. Great ball from Jadeja and all but wow, that was quick from MSD. Gill was caught out in a matter of milliseconds. Gujarat Titans 67/1

GT 62/0 after 6 overs: The sound off Shubman Gill’s bat tonight (and I guess for most part of the season) has been astonishingly good. Another hat-trick of fours. Deepak Chahar, what have you done! A super powerplay for GT.

Half century opening stand: A 50 off 32 balls between Saha and Gill.

First sign of spin. We’ll know what the pitch has to offer here.

GT 49/0 after 5 overs: And another dropped catch by Deepak Chahar, this time a life for Saha off his own bowling. Perhaps tough on the follow through but that came at a good height. Gill with another superb shot past point for four.

GT 38/0 after 4 overs: The camera keeps panning to Chahar as Gill goes 4-4-4! The third one an absolutely brilliant punch through extra cover. Uff.

GT 24/0 after 3 overs: Wriddhiman Saha, the man with a IPL final century to his name, is on the charge! A six and two fours off Chahar. Big over for GT. Chahar’s evening gets a bit worse.

GT 8/0 after 2 overs: What have you done?! Good field placement from CSK to have the fielder square at short fine, Shubman Gill finds Deepak Chahar with a flick... dropped on 3. Potentially match-changing moment.

GT 4/0 after 1 over: Pace is lower than typical for Chahar but he is accurate as he usually is, and there is that hint of swing for him. Brought one back to Saha, that nearly beat him.

7.33 pm: Deepak Chahar pulled up a little bit after the match-winning catch against GT in Chennai... and his run-up here suggests all is not well with him perhaps. Definitely not a good flow.

Deepak Chahar has the ball in hand. The red-hot Shubman Gill is the man to watch out for. Saha is on strike.

CSK's top-three bowlers

Player Inns Wkts SR
Tushar Deshpande 15 21 15.09
Ravindra Jadeja 15 19 16.73
Matheesha Pathirana 11 17 14.94

Do CSK dare to dream? “It’s really hard not to look too far ahead and dream of winning it again,” Chennai coach Stephen Fleming told reporters.

“You got to stay very present of what you are going to do against Gujarat, an excellent side, most consistent side throughout the competition. We can’t afford to dream too much.”

Time for the Indian national anthem

GT bowling strength: The top-three wicket-takers in the tournament this year are all from GT. CSK have to negotiate the Shami threat.

GT's top three bowlers

Player Inns Wkts SR
Mohammad Shami 16 28 13.28
Rashid Khan 16 27 14.22
Mohit Sharma 13 24 10.29

Team news

CSK XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana

GT XI: Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, Mohammed Shami

More from MS Dhoni (via @ChennaiIPL): Yesterday we were in the dressing room. As a cricketer you always want to play. It was the crowd that suffered the most. Hopefully we can entertain them. Pitch has been under cover for a long time, but throughout the tournament the pitch has behaved well over here

7.05 pm: MS Dhoni says they’ll bowl first with the rain forecast being around. Nice of him to briefly mention the difficulties the fans might have faced. And surprise surprise surprise, he says no changes to squad.

Interesting from Hardik: “I would have bowled first as well, but my heart was telling me to bat, so I don’t mind losing the toss”

TOSS

MS Dhoni wins the toss. CSK choose to bowl.

6.57 pm: A pre-final performance going on. Apologies to the fans who have gone to the stadium...but it will be quite something if there is rain later in the night and there is no time to complete it today, when there was all the time for this pre-match stuff. (Another thing I don’t quite get, is if there are predictions for rain later in the night, why not try and start the match a bit earlier. Cricket’s rigidity...)

6.51 pm: Here’s a look at the top five run-getters from each side

GT

Player Inns Runs SR 100 50
Shubman Gill 16 851 156.43 3 4
Hardik Pandya 14 325 134.85 0 2
Wriddhiman Saha 16 317 127.82 0 1
Vijay Shankar 10 301 160.10 0 3
Sai Sudharsan 7 266 127.27 0 2

CSK

Player Inns Runs SR 100 50
Devon Conway 14 625 137.06 0 6
Ruturaj Gaikwad 14 564 146.87 0 4
Shivam Dube 13 386 158.84 0 3
Ajinkya Rahane 10 299 169.88 0 2
Ravindra Jadeja 11 175 137.79 0 0

And for badminton fans, a piece on a memorable week for HS Prannoy.

Before we get into the match... and weather updates, of course... an article worth your time and consideration today:

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Indian Premier League 2023 final as MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings take on Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans.

It’s a Monday final. IPL Final of the 2023 edition involving Chennai Super Kings and the Gujarat Titans was rescheduled to the reserve day, due to incessant rain in Ahmedabad.

The BCCI have said that fans who had their tickets for the IPL Final on May 28th will now be able to enter the stadium with their existing physical tickets on May 29th. But apparently only physical tickets for some reason. A strange thing in 2023. But hey, when have the fans been at the forefront of cricketing decisions in India? It’s just how things roll here. Take fans for granted, because if 10 get upset and decide it’s not worth it to watch cricket in stadiums, 100 more will be ready to take their place.

Right then, a good cricket match to watch for whoever makes it in today, hopefully.

Screenshots / photos in the blog courtesy: Sportzpics / IPL