Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) eye a record-breaking 5th IIPL win after storming into IPL 2023 final with a maiden IPL win over defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023 Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. CSK's star opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was adjudged Player of the match as he scored a gritty fifty to help his team reach 172 for 7 after GT skipper Hardik Pandya opted to bowl. The first innings total by CSK turned out to be a competitive total on Chepauk's slow pitch as Gujarat Titans had a rare off day to end with 157 all out in 20 overs.
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Gaikwad also won prize for the best catch of the contest as he took a remarkable running diving catch to send well-set Vijay Shankar back to GT dugout in the 18th over.
Gaikwad's teammate Deepak Chahar believes former's award-winning catch overshadowed his catch off the final ball of the innings. In a video released by IPL that went viral on social media, Chahar, taking a hilarious jibe at Gaikwad, said: "Ruturaj Gaikwad is a shameless person, he took the award for the best catch once again, I thought I should have won it. So give me one of your awards."
Reacting to Deepak Chahar's statement, Gaikwad responded:
"First and foremost, the effort matters. My catch was a diving effort, that too in a crucial situation, your catch was taken after the match was done. But congrats to you, it was a really good catch, you have made a good return since coming back from injury."
It looked like Chahar possibly pulled his hamstring while completing Vijay Shankar's catch, however, after the match got over, he confirmed that he is absolutely fit to participate in IPL 2023 final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.