The Exhilarating Journey that was the IPL 2023

The Craze:

Although considered the ‘Indian’ Premier League, it has a fan following all over the world. Fans from England, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, and other nations all support various teams that have nothing to do with their personal nationalities. It is simply the love of the game of cricket that unites people from several countries, even some of those considered rivals. An escape for cricket fans for weeks on end, the IPL is a colossal part of the game of cricket for a valid reason, bringing joy to people all around the country of India, and the world. The IPL 2023 was no less of a euphoric experience for its fans. Having begun on the 31st of March and ending on 29th of May, the IPL 2023 saw ten teams battling it out for the trophy.

The Expense:

The ten teams playing in the IPL 2023 included the Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super giants, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Of those teams, Mumbai Indians is the most expensive team in terms of valuation with a figure of US$1.3 billion. However, the IPL 2023 team that spent the most money at the auction was Sunrisers Hyderabad, who ironically, ranked tenth out of all ten teams by the end. Sunrisers Hyderabad threw US$4,210,783.65 at the auction this year due to their poor performance in last year’s IPL where they ranked eighth. Funnily enough, the more money they spent, the lower they ranked. Sunrisers Hyderabad bought England’s Harry Brook for US$1,617,052.53, along with a number of other players for quite an expense as well. Letting loose when it came to spending on Harry Brook wasn’t a shock considering him being perceived as a young talent and an up-and-coming T20 prodigy. Sunrisers Hyderabad, however, must try their best to find an effective combination for their team with players that would tactically work well together rather than tossing their money at any slightly impressive player.

The Champions and the Runners-up:

It is no secret that the abundantly talented Chennai Super Kings won the IPL 2023 under the captaincy of no other than the honourable M.S. Dhoni. US$2,257,523.55 well spent for the Super Kings’ owners as their players did not disappoint whatsoever. Reaching the IPL 2023 final with one of the strongest teams the tournament had seen, and eventually coming out on the victorious end with five wickets in hand due to the DLS method. A team effort is what led the Super Kings to that triumph, with whacks with the bat like Devon Conway’s who was named Player of the Match, Shivam Dubey, and Ajinkya Rahane. The bowlers played quite the hand too as Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, and Deepak Chahar all took wickets without being too expensive.

The runners-up, however, did not let Chennai Super Kings obtain the win with ease. An incredible fight was put up by Gujarat Titans with innings like Sai Sudharan’s 96, Wriddhiam Saha’s 54, and even efforts by Shubman Gill leading to a thriller of a final. Bowlers Mohit Sharma and Noor Ahmed snatched wickets from the Super Kings throughout the final, flipping the script throughout the game and keeping viewers on their toes. However, even after all these trials and tribulations, Chennai Super Kings proved themselves worthy to raise the prestigious IPL 2023 Trophy.

Stats throughout the tournament

The IPL 2023 had its ten teams ranking at interesting positions. Teams with exceptional and extravagant players were on the lower end of the rankings, something entirely unexpected of them. Here is what the points table looked like by the end of the IPL 2023:

Leading wicket-taker and Leading run-maker:

There is no doubt that some players outshine the rest during tournaments, especially during ones like these where there is so much talent to compete against each other. The IPL 2023’s most notable players involved two men, one that was the leading wicket taker, and one that was the leading run maker. The leading wicket taker in the IPL 2023 was no other than Gujarat Titans’ Mohammad Shami. Mohammad Shami took 28 wickets throughout the tournament, almost twice per match. Ecstatic, but not surprised that Shami was the one to take the most wickets considering his cricketing-mind, experience, and perfect line and length. The Gujarat Titans keep coming up when referring to achievements and accolades throughout the IPL 2023 as their own Shubman Gill was the leading run scorer this year. Having made 890 runs in fourteen games is an achievement unlike any other, and Shubman Gill is one player you’d expect to achieve it. The golden boy of the new generation of Indian cricket has found himself success in multiple ways, be it the franchise ones or national. With an average of above 59 and three centuries to his name this year, Shubman Gill is an absolute wonder.

The only downside to the IPL is the fact that audiences have to wait an entire year for another edition of entertainment and thrill. That being said, we have another IPL tournament to look forward to: the women’s ipl IPL. The women’s IPL 2023 was a huge success, which is why there is not a doubt that there will be another Women’s IPL. The IPL 2023 was an action-packed tournament with just that, entertainment and thrill for ages. The win this year was perfectly scripted as the nation’s hero, M.S. Dhoni led his Chennai Super Kings to the win of the century. It can easily be said that everyone is elevated for the IPL 2024, and that exhilaration and amusement will be guaranteed throughout.

Must we wait an entire year for more?

The only downside to the IPL is the fact that audiences have to wait an entire year for another edition of entertainment and thrill. The IPL 2023 was an action-packed tournament with just that, entertainment and thrill for ages. The win this year was perfectly scripted as the nation’s hero, M.S. Dhoni led his Chennai Super Kings to the win of the century. It can easily be said that everyone is elevated for the IPL 2024, and that exhilaration and amusement will be guaranteed throughout.

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