Chennai Super Kings tamed a tenacious Gujarat Giants by 15 runs on a sticky surface to enter their 10th IPL final in Chennai on Tuesday.
And extend their remarkable consistency in the tournament.
CSK did well to reach 172 for 7 on a slow pitch in Qualifier 1 after Hardik Pandya opted to bowl.
Considering the conditions, it turned out to be much more than a competitive total. As Gujarat Titans had a rare off day to end with 157 all out in 20 overs. Rashid Khan made the CSK fans nervous with a 16-ball 30 towards the end. But it was not enough for the Titans.
However, the defending champions get another shoot to make a second successive final in IPL Qualifier 2 on Friday.
CSK’s master tactician Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the best use of the home advantage to take the four-time champions to a 10th final in 14 editions. CSK did not take part in 2016 and 2017 editions.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (4-0-18-2) did the star turn for the Super Kings with a brilliant spell.
He strangled the opposition batters to avenge the defeat suffered in the tournament opener. Matheesha Pathirana, Mahesh Theekshana and Deepal Chahar also finished with two wickets each