Chennai Super Kings opener Ruturaj Gaikwad dedicated their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final victory against Gujarat Titans to veteran batter Ambati Rayudu as he played his last match of the IPL.
Rayudu left a legacy behind after he decided to hang up his boots on Sunday. He took to Twitter to make the announcement.
"2 great teams mi nd csk, 204 matches, 14 seasons, 11 playoffs, 8 finals, 5 trophies. Hopefully 6th tonight. It is been quite a journey. I have decided that tonight's final is going to be my last game in the Ipl. I truly have enjoyed playing this great tournament. Thank u all. No u-turn," tweeted Rayudu.
The veteran batter marked his final game by changing the fate of the game with one ball. He went on the back foot to send the ball flying into the stands with his raw strength in the 13th over of the game. From that point onwards CSK made their way back into the game and clinched their fifth IPL title.
"This one was more special because how last year went for us. To come back in style, to win games at Chepauk and to win away games. The way everyone contributed through the season. Jinks, Conway. Rayudu wasn't getting balls. Would like to dedicate the win to Rayudu. Even today we were talking about having a good start. With wickets in hand, we thought we'll easily chase down 12-13 an over in the end," Gaikwad said after the match.
In 204 matches of his IPL career, Rayudu has scored 4348 runs at an average of 28.23 and a strike rate of 127.54. He has scored one century and 22 half-centuries in his IPL career, with best score of 100*. He is the 12th-highest run scorer of all time in IPL history.
He represented Mumbai Indians from 2010-2017 in 114 matches. He scored 2,416 runs at an average of 27.15 at a strike rate of 126.16 for the franchise, with 14 half-centuries. His best score was 81*.
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