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April 17, 2022. M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans.The Toss.
The roar of Chepauk is unlike any other. It isn't just noise; it is devotion. A sea of yellow had flooded the stands hours before the first ball, chanting for their heroes. But tonight, there was a ripple of blue in the ocean the Titans were in town, and we were unbeaten.
I walked out for the toss with Ravindra Jadeja. The crowd cheered for both of us Jadeja, the current CSK captain, and me, the Indian World Cup hero.
I spun the coin. "Heads," Jadeja called. It was Tails.
"We'll bowl first," I said into the microphone held by Ravi Shastri. "We love chasing. The dew might come in later, but honestly, we just back ourselves to hunt down any total."
Jadeja: "We would have batted anyway. Put runs on the board and let the spinners squeeze them. It's a good wicket, typical Chepauk."
The umpires walked out. The Titans huddle broke. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa walked out to open for CSK. Two elegant, dangerous right-handers.
I took the new ball. The crowd expected pace. They expected the 150kmph thunderbolts. But I had a plan.
Over 1: Aarav Pathak.
I marked my run-up. Gaikwad was on strike. He looked solid, compact.
Ball 1: I ran in. I didn't hit the deck hard. I bowled a cutter. 132 kmph. Gaikwad pressed forward, defending it back to me. The ball gripped slightly. Dot Ball.
Ball 2: Same line. Same speed. Gaikwad tapped it to cover. Dot Ball.
Ball 3: I went wider of the crease, angling it in. Gaikwad left it alone. Dot Ball.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "Interesting start from Aarav. He's not looking for express pace. He's bowling cutters in the first over! He's reading the pitch perfectly. It's holding up a bit."
Ball 4: I decided to wake him up. I put my shoulder into it. 152.4 kmph. The ball hurried onto Gaikwad. He was late on the defense. He squirted it to fine leg for a single. 1 Run.
Ball 5: Uthappa on strike. I rolled my fingers again. Slower ball. Uthappa read it and defended solidly. Dot Ball.
Ball 6: Length ball. Uthappa pushed to mid-on. 1 Run.
End of Over 1.CSK: 2/0.
Over 2.
The crowd expected Josh Hazlewood or any spinner. Instead, I tossed the ball to Abhishek Sharma. A part-time left-arm spinner opening the bowling in the Powerplay against CSK? At Chepauk?
The stadium was stunned into silence. Even the commentators were baffled.
Ian Bishop (Comms): "Wait a minute. Abhishek Sharma? With the new ball? Aarav Pathak is rolling the dice early! He has Hazlewood, he has rashid, but he goes to spin against two right-handers. This is a massive gamble!"
Gautam Gambhir (Comms): "It's a matchup play, Ian. Uthappa loves pace on the ball. If you give him spin early, before he's set, he might try to hit his way out. But Abhishek isn't a specialist. If he drags one down, it's going out of the park."
I walked to the slip cordon. I put myself at First Slip. I waved Abhishek closer. "Bowl it flat," I whispered. "Into the pads. Don't give him room to free his arms." Abhishek nodded, looking focused.
Ball 1: Abhishek darted it in. Flat, quick. Uthappa defended off the back foot. Dot Ball.
Ball 2: Uthappa tried to drive through covers. Abhishek pulled his length back slightly. Uthappa mistimed it to the fielder. Dot Ball.
Ball 3: Arm ball. Drifting in. Uthappa defended. Dot Ball.
Pressure was building. Three dots in the second over. The crowd started to murmur. Uthappa was getting restless.
Ball 4: Abhishek floated it up slightly, just outside off. Uthappa's eyes lit up. He went for the big expansive drive over covers. He swung with full force. Inside Edge. The ball chopped down into the ground, bounced over the stumps by a millimeter, and went to the keeper. "OOOOH!" The Titans went up. Uthappa exhaled, looking at his stumps.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "That was close! Very close! Uthappa tried to hit the leather off it. Abhishek is bowling a dangerous line here. He is teasing the batsman."
Ball 5: Uthappa tried to cut. He missed. The ball skidded through. Dot Ball.
Five dots. A maiden looming?
Ball 6: Abhishek bowled the perfect delivery. It drifted in, pitched on middle, and straightened just a fraction. Uthappa was stuck on the crease. He tried to defend with hard hands, pushing at the ball. Edge. It was a thick outside edge. It flew fast and low to my left at first slip.
I didn't think. I reacted. I threw my body to the left, full stretch, parallel to the ground. My left hand shot out. The ball hit the center of my palm and stuck.
I rolled over, holding the ball aloft.
"YES!"
Robin Uthappa c Aarav b Abhishek 1 (6)CSK: 2/1.
Wicket Maiden!
Abhishek screamed in delight, sprinting towards me. Heinrich Klaasen ran up and high-fived me so hard my hand stung. The team swarmed us. A part-time spinner. A wicket maiden in the second over. At Chepauk.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "WHAT A CATCH! WHAT A MOVE! The gamble pays off in gold! Aarav Pathak pulls off a stunner at slip to give Abhishek Sharma a wicket maiden! Uthappa is gone! The crowd at Chepauk has been silenced by the tactical genius of the Titans! Who writes these scripts?"
Ian Bishop (Comms): "Absolute brilliance. The vision to bowl spin, the execution from Abhishek, and then the athleticism from the captain. Gujarat Titans are not just playing cricket; they are playing chess on a cricket field."
I stood up, dusting off my jersey. I looked at Abhishek. "I told you," I grinned. "Golden Arm."
Abhishek laughed, breathless. "You caught that? I thought it was four!"
"Not on my watch," I winked.
We walked back to our positions. Moeen Ali walked out. The game was wide open. And we had drawn first blood.
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The silence at Chepauk following Robin Uthappa's dismissal was heavy, almost suffocating. The yellow flags had stopped waving. The Whistle Podu anthem had died down.
I walked back to the top of my mark at the Pavilion End. The gamble with Abhishek Sharma had paid off spectacularly—a wicket maiden in the second over. Now, I had to back it up.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was on strike. He is a class act, a player who times the ball rather than hitting it. He looked calm, tapping the crease, unfazed by the early loss.
Ball 1: I decided to test the surface with pace again. I didn't bowl the cutter. 142 kmph. Top of off-stump. I offered a hint of width. Gaikwad didn't try to overhit. He leaned back slightly, opening the face of the bat. He punched it through the covers. The timing was exquisite. The ball raced across the lush outfield, dissecting the gap between cover-point and extra cover. FOUR.
The crowd found its voice again. A roar of relief more than joy.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "Glorious! That settles the nerves. Ruturaj just leans on it. Aarav offered a little width, and at this level, that is all you need. That sound off the bat is pure class."
Ball 2: I corrected my line. Straighter. Gaikwad tapped it to mid-on with soft hands. They scrambled a quick single. 1 Run.
Ball 3:Moeen Ali on strike. The elegant left-hander. He likes pace. He likes to hit through the line. I bowled a length ball, angling across him. Moeen pushed it to cover. 1 Run.
Ball 4: Gaikwad back on strike. Inswinger. 146 kmph. Gaikwad worked it off his hips to deep square leg. 1 Run.
Ball 5: Moeen on strike. I rolled my fingers. Leg cutter. Moeen read it late, checking his drive. It lobbed safely to the off side. Dot Ball.
I walked back to my mark. I looked at Moeen. He was tapping the crease, looking a bit rushed. The pitch was slow, but my arm speed was fast. It was a deadly combination.
Ball 6: I didn't look at the pads. I looked at the middle stump. I ran in. I put every ounce of shoulder strength into it. 151.8 kmph. It wasn't a cutter. It was a skidder. It pitched on a good length and skidded low off the surface, gathering pace. Moeen Ali was expecting the ball to hold up in the pitch like the previous one. He stayed back, trying to force it through the off side with a horizontal bat. Bad choice. The ball beat his bat speed. It went under the blade.
CRASH.
The sound of timber shattering echoed around the silent stadium. The middle stump was knocked back. The bails flew towards the keeper.
Moeen Ali b Aarav 1 (3)CSK: 9/2.
I roared. A release of pure energy. I didn't run around. I just stood in the middle of the pitch, arms wide, looking at the stunned stands. Two wickets in three overs. The fortress was being breached.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "CLEAN BOWLED! HE'S GONE THROUGH HIM! That is raw pace! 151 clicks! Moeen Ali was late! He played for the turn, he played for the grip, but Aarav just beat him for sheer speed! The stumps are in a mess, and so is Chennai Super Kings! 9 for 2! What a start for the Titans!"
Gautam Gambhir (Comms): "That is the difference. On a slow pitch, if you can bowl 150 and skid it, the batsman has no time. Moeen was playing yesterday's delivery. Aarav Pathak is not just a captain; he is the spearhead. He has silenced Chepauk."
Ambati Rayudu walked out. The veteran. The man who could handle spin better than anyone in the CSK lineup. CSK: 9/2.
The crowd was nervous. They needed a partnership.
Over 4: Abhishek Sharma. I kept Abhishek on. Why change a winning formula? Rayudu and Gaikwad knew they couldn't afford to lose another wicket. Abhishek bowled flat. Into the pads. Rayudu used his feet, pushing singles. Gaikwad tried to cut but couldn't find the gap. They milked 5 singles and a two. 7 Runs.CSK: 16/2.
Over 5: Rashid Khan. The Magician entered the attack. The crowd groaned. Rashid Khan in the Powerplay on a turning track? That was unfair. Rashid started with a slip. Ball 1: Googly. Gaikwad beaten. Ball 2: Leg break. Single. Ball 3: Rayudu defended. Ball 4: Rayudu tried to sweep Rashid, but the ball dipped. He got an inside edge onto the pad. They scrambled for runs. Rashid kept it incredibly tight. He varied his pace—90kmph, then a 98kmph slider. 7 Runs.CSK: 23/2.
Ian Bishop (Comms): "This is suffocating. Gujarat has strangled them. 23 runs in 5 overs? At home? Chennai is usually cautious, but this is paralysis. Rashid Khan in the Powerplay is a luxury Aarav Pathak is using perfectly."
Over 6. The final over of the Powerplay. Usually, this is where the batting team tries to accelerate. I threw the ball to R. Sai Kishore. The local boy. The debutant. He took the ball. His hands were shaking slightly. He looked around the stadium—the stands where he used to sit as a fan.
I walked up to him. "Sai," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Breathe. You know this pitch. You know these batsmen. Just bowl your best ball." "Yes, Anna," Sai nodded, taking a deep breath.
Ball 1: Sai ran in. Tall action. High release point. He bowled it slow. 85 kmph. Gaikwad reached forward. The ball turned away sharply. Beaten. Dot Ball.
Ian Bishop (Comms): "Beautiful! Look at that turn! First ball in IPL cricket for the Gujarat Titans, and Sai Kishore has made the ball talk! That ripped past the outside edge! The local boy showing his tricks."
Ball 2: Sai went flatter. Gaikwad pushed to cover. Dot Ball.
Ball 3: Gaikwad stepped out, trying to hit over mid-off. Sai saw him coming. He pulled the length back. Gaikwad mistimed it. It fell just short of the fielder. 1 Run.
Ball 4: Rayudu on strike. Sai bowled an arm ball. It drifted in. Rayudu defended solidly. Dot Ball.
Ball 5: Rayudu tried to cut. The ball bounced extra because of Sai's height. It hit the splice. 1 Run.
Ball 6: Gaikwad on strike. Sai bowled it wide. Gaikwad reached out and drove it to deep cover. 2 Runs.
End of Over 6.4 Runs.
CSK: 27/2 (6 Overs).
The Powerplay was done. Chennai Super Kings, the masters of their own backyard, had been restricted to 27 runs for 2 wickets. It was their lowest Powerplay score at Chepauk in five years.
We walked off for the timeout. The silence in the stands was heavy. I looked at Sai Kishore. He was beaming. "Good start, Sai," I smiled. "Now, let's choke them."
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "What a performance from the Titans! They have come into the Lion's Den and pulled the lion's teeth! 27 for 2! Aarav Pathak's captaincy has been spot on. Bowling spin, using his own pace, and that catch at slip... he is dictating terms to MS Dhoni's team (Jadeja's team). This is champion stuff."
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The Powerplay had belonged to the Titans, restricting CSK to 27/2. But Chepauk is a venue where panic is fatal. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu knew the drill. They didn't try to manufacture shots; they trusted the process.
I brought on the spin trio—Rashid Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, and Sai Kishore. It was a trio of spin.
Overs 7 to 10: Rayudu used his feet brilliantly. He stepped out to Sai Kishore, smothering the spin and lofting him over extra cover. Gaikwad played late, cutting Rashid past point. They rotated the strike, finding the gaps that seemed to appear out of nowhere. CSK moved to 65/2 at the halfway mark.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "This is the recovery Chennai needed. Rayudu is so good against spin. He doesn't let the bowler settle. Aarav needs a breakthrough, or this partnership will set up a 170 total."
Over 12: Sai Kishore. I brought the debutant back. Sai looked nervous. Rayudu had hit him for a boundary in the previous over.
Ball 3: Sai bowled it slower, tossing it up outside off. Rayudu saw the flight. He went for the inside-out drive over covers. But Sai had imparted extra overspin. The ball dipped. Rayudu wasn't quite to the pitch. He sliced it. The ball flew to deep cover. David Miller ran in, settled under it, and took it cleanly.
Ambati Rayudu c Miller b Sai Kishore 40 (31)CSK: 88/3.
I ran to Sai Kishore. He was pumping his fists, looking at the stands where his family was likely sitting. "First wicket for the Titans!" I shouted, hugging him. "Brilliant dip, Sai!"
Shivam Dube walked out. The designated spin-hitter. Tall, long levers, immense power. I looked at Kuldeep Yadav. "He will come after you, KD. Be brave."
Over 13: Kuldeep Yadav.
Ball 1: Kuldeep tossed it up on middle. Dube cleared his front leg. He swung with the arc. Massive. The ball sailed over long-on for SIX.
Ball 2: Kuldeep tried to go wider. Dube reached out. He dragged it. Flat six over cow corner. SIX.
Matthew Hayden (Comms): "That is pure power! Dube is using his reach perfectly. Kuldeep is under pressure here. Two massive blows!"
I stood at Long-On. I signaled to Kuldeep. Slower. Wider. Make him reach more.
Ball 3: Kuldeep listened. He bowled it wide outside off, but he took the pace off completely. 78 kmph. Dube went for the hat-trick of sixes. He swung hard. But he lost his shape. He sliced it high into the night sky. The ball was traveling towards the long-on boundary—towards me.
I ran back. I tracked the ball against the floodlights. It was going over the rope. I timed my jump. I leaped backward, my body arching over the boundary cushion. I caught the ball with both hands.
But my momentum was carrying me over. I was falling into the stands. In mid-air, realizing I couldn't land inside, I threw the ball up. I threw it high and towards the field of play. I landed outside the rope, regained my balance in a split second. I jumped back onto the field. The ball was coming down. I dove forward, full stretch. I plucked it inches from the grass.
The stadium went silent for a second, then erupted not in joy, but in sheer disbelief. Even the CSK fans applauded.
Ian Bishop (Comms): "UNBELIEVABLE! AARAV PATHAK! WHAT HAVE WE JUST SEEN?! He caught it, he was going over, he released it, he came back, and he completed the catch! That is athleticism of the highest order! That is a captain leading from the front! Shivam Dube cannot believe it!"
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "That is presence of mind. To know where the rope is, to release it at the right time... absolute magic. The Titans are fighting for every inch!"
Shivam Dube c Aarav b Kuldeep 12 (3)CSK: 100/4.
Ravindra Jadeja walked out. The CSK Captain. But Ruturaj Gaikwad was still there. He had silently moved to his fifty. He was the danger. He anchored the innings while wickets fell. He accelerated against the pacers, hitting Hazlewood for a sumptuous six over fine leg.
Over 17: Rashid Khan. Gaikwad was on 75. He looked set for a hundred. Rashid bowled a googly. Quicker. Flatter. Gaikwad tried to pull. The ball skidded on. It hit the top of off stump.
Ruturaj Gaikwad b Rashid 75 (49)CSK: 135/5.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "The wizard strikes at the death! Gaikwad played a gem, but Rashid Khan is too good! That ball zipped off the surface. A crucial wicket for Gujarat."
135/5. 17.2 Overs.
The giant screen flashed the image. The number 7. The noise at Chepauk didn't just increase; it changed frequency. It became a religious chant. "DHONI! DHONI! DHONI!"
MS Dhoni walked out. The ground vibrated. I could feel it in my spikes. I looked at the crowd. They were delirious. I looked at Dhoni. He walked with that familiar, calm swagger, adjusting his gloves.
I walked up to my bowlers. "Hazlewood, Over 18. Aarav, Over 19. Hazlewood, Over 20."
Over 18: Josh Hazlewood. Jadeja and Dhoni took singles. They were setting up for the final assault. 7 Runs.CSK: 142/5.
Over 19: Aarav Pathak.
I had the ball. MS Dhoni was on strike. The crowd was deafening. This was the moment they paid for. I marked my run-up.
Ian Bishop (Comms): "This is box office! The young superstar against the legend. Aarav Pathak versus MS Dhoni. The 19th over. Pace against Power."
Ball 1: I ran in. 148 kmph. Wide yorker. Dhoni let it go. Wide signaled. Crowd cheered.
Ball 1 (Re): I went straight. Yorker on middle. Dhoni dug it out to long-on. 1 Run.
Ball 2: Jadeja single.
Ball 3: Dhoni on strike. I decided to test him with a bouncer. 150 kmph. It rose sharply. Dhoni swiveled. He was late, but he got bat on it. Top edge. It flew over the keeper. FOUR.
Ball 4: I went back to the yorker plan. But I missed my length by an inch. Low full toss. Dhoni was waiting. He cleared his front leg. The bottom hand power took over. He whipped it. It wasn't the helicopter shot, but it was close. The ball flew over deep mid-wicket. It went deep into the stands.
SIX!
The stadium exploded. It was mayhem.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "IN THE AIR... AND INTO THE CROWD! Mahi Maar Raha Hai! (Mahi is hitting!) He has dispatched the Gujarat Captain into the stands! What a hit!"
I stood there, watching the ball land. I smiled. Okay, old man. You still got it.
Ball 5: I walked back to my mark. I wasn't rattled. I was focused. He expects the wide yorker now. I ran in. 152.4 kmph. I didn't bowl wide. I bowled a leg-stump yorker. Reverse swinging in. Dhoni tried to drag it to the leg side again. He was beaten for pace. The ball crashed into the leg stump.
MS Dhoni b Aarav 14 (8)CSK: 156/6.
I didn't celebrate wildly. I just raised my hand in acknowledgment. The crowd cheered for Dhoni as he walked off, and then applauded the delivery.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "He gets his revenge! The Six, and then the Timber! Aarav Pathak knocks over the legend! Pace and precision. 152 clicks at the base of leg stump. You don't keep that out easily."
Dwayne Bravo walked out. Over 20: Josh Hazlewood.
Ball 1: Bravo tried to loft Hazlewood over covers. Caught by Shubman Gill. Dwayne Bravo c Gill b Hazlewood 0 (1)CSK: 156/7.
Chris Jordan joined Jadeja. Hazlewood was clinical. He bowled hard lengths and yorkers. Jadeja managed a boundary off the last ball.
CSK Finished: 165/7 (20 Overs).
Ravindra Jadeja: 22 (18).* Chris Jordan: 4 (3).*
Target for Gujarat Titans: 166 Runs.
We walked off. It was a competitive total on a turning track.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "166 to win. On this pitch, against Jadeja, Bravo, Theekshana, Mukesh, Jordan and Moeen? This is not going to be easy. Gujarat will have to bat out of their skins. The spin test awaits."
I wiped my face with a towel. "166," I said to Gary Kirsten. "Manageable," Gary nodded. "But we need a good start. No early wickets."
I looked at Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. "Ready?" "Ready," they chorused.
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The target was 166. On a flat deck in Mumbai, this would be a walk in the park. But at Chepauk, with the pitch gripping and the Chennai crowd baying for blood, 166 felt like 200.
Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill walked out to the middle. As Abhishek crossed the rope, Ashish Nehra jogged alongside him for a few steps. "Abhi," Nehra said, his voice urgent. "The ball will stop. It won't come on like Patra City. Give yourself a sighter. Don't hit on the up immediately. Wait for it."
Abhishek nodded, adjusting his gloves. "Understood, Paaji."
Mukesh Choudhary, the left-arm pacer, took the new ball for CSK. He swung it back into the right-handers.
Over 1: Mukesh Choudhary.
Ball 1: Abhishek on strike. Length ball, shaping away. Abhishek watched it. The ball stuck in the pitch slightly. Dot.
Ball 2: Fuller. Abhishek pushed it to mid-off. He wanted a single, but Jadeja was prowling there. Dot.
Ball 3: Mukesh missed his length. Slot ball on leg stump. Abhishek didn't need a sighter for this. He picked it up off his pads. The trademark flick. It flew over deep square leg. SIX!
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "That is the release! Abhishek Sharma doesn't like dot balls. He gets one in the arc, and it goes out of the park!"
Ball 4: Mukesh corrected. Back of a length. Abhishek defended. Dot.
Ball 5: Single to deep cover. 1 Run.
Ball 6:Shubman Gill on strike. First ball. Mukesh Choudhary went wide of the crease. He bowled it short and wide. A looseness. Gill's eyes lit up. He saw a boundary to start his innings. He reached out. He tried to cut it hard over point. But the bounce was lower than he expected. The ball didn't rise. He hit it straight—flat and hard—directly into the hands of Robin Uthappa at point.
Shubman Gill c Uthappa b Mukesh 0 (1)GT: 7/1.
Sunil Gavaskar (Comms): "Oh dear! A golden duck for the Gill! That was a gift from Mukesh, short and wide, but Gill played it too casually. He didn't keep it down. Uthappa makes no mistake. Chennai erupts!"
Gill stood there, shocked. He dragged himself off. The Chepauk crowd roared.
I walked out at Number 3. The noise was deafening. GT: 7/1.
Over 2: Maheesh Theekshana. Jadeja brought on the mystery spinner immediately. Abhishek Sharma was on strike. He looked angry about the dots in the first over.
Ball 1: Theekshana bowled a carrom ball. Abhishek read it. He stepped out. He launched it over long-on. SIX!
Ball 2: Theekshana went flatter. Abhishek backed away. Inside-out over covers. SIX!
Ball 3: Full on the pads. Abhishek swept. Top edge... but it flew over fine leg. SIX!
Ian Bishop (Comms): "Hat-trick of sixes! He is not listening to anybody! He is listening to his own instincts! Abhishek Sharma is taking the mystery spinner apart! This is fearless batting!"
Ball 4: Abhishek went for the fourth. Greed took over. Theekshana held it back. Slower. Wider. Abhishek reached. He sliced it. The ball went straight up. Moeen Ali at mid-off settled under it.
Abhishek Sharma c Moeen b Theekshana 25 (10)GT: 25/2.
I watched from the non-striker's end, shaking my head. 25 runs is good, but wicket down in the second over was reckless.
Heinrich Klaasen walked out.
Ball 5: Dot. Ball 6: Dot.
Over 3: Mukesh Choudhary. Klaasen smashed a six over mid-wicket but looked uncomfortable against the moving ball. 9 Runs.
Over 4: Maheesh Theekshana. I took a single first ball. Klaasen on strike. Ball 2: Klaasen stepped out. He hit it straight down the ground. SIX.Ball 3: Theekshana bowled the carrom ball again. It skidded. Klaasen tried to cut. Edge. Moeen Ali at slip took a sharp catch.
Heinrich Klaasen c Moeen b Theekshana 13 (6)GT: 41/3.
David Miller walked out. The veteran. We needed stability. Miller and I batted for a few overs. We took the score to 60. But the pitch was turning square now. Ravindra Jadeja came on.
Over 8: Jadeja to Aarav. I tried to work it to leg. The ball gripped. Leading edge. Caught and bowled.
Aarav Pathak c & b Jadeja 18 (14)GT: 62/4.
The silence from the dugout was deafening. The Captain was gone.
Then came the procession. Rinku Singh (7) tried to sweep Moeen Ali and was trapped LBW. Rahul Tewatia (2) was run out by a direct hit from Santner.
Score:72/6 in 11.3 Overs.Target: 166. Equation: 94 runs needed off 51 balls.
4 wickets in hand. Only bowlers left. The crowd at Chepauk was celebrating. They were singing Champion, Champion.
David Miller was still there. He was batting on 12. Rashid Khan walked out at Number 8. The Afghan Warrior.
Miller walked up to Rashid. They tapped gloves. "We are deep in the hole, Rash," Miller said. "We dig out," Rashid grinned. "I bat. You bat. We win."
Ian Bishop (Comms): "It looks done and dusted. 94 off 51 with 4 wickets left? Chennai are all over them. Unless... unless Killer Miller has one of those nights."
Over 12:Moeen Ali. Rashid Khan didn't wait. He got down on one knee. Slog sweep. SIX. Next ball. Cut shot. FOUR.
Over 14:Dwayne Bravo. Miller decided it was time. Slower ball. Miller waited. He hit it out of the ground over long-on. SIX. Next ball. Full toss. FOUR.
The partnership started to build. 20 runs. 40 runs. The crowd got quieter. Rashid Khan was playing like a top-order batter. He was using his wrists to whip the pacers.
Over 17:Chris Jordan. Rashid Khan on strike. He played the Snake Shot. A whip of the wrists over deep mid-wicket. SIX! Then Miller hit two boundaries. 18 runs off the over.
Equation: 28 runs needed off 18 balls.
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "Hello! Hang on! Don't go anywhere! From 72 for 6, these two have brought it back! This is the 'GT DNA'! They just don't know when they are beaten! Rashid Khan is batting like a dream, and Miller is the anchor!"
Over 18:Dwayne Bravo. Experience vs Experience. Miller hit a four. Rashid took a double. 10 runs. Need 18 off 12.
Over 19: Mukesh Choudhary. Rashid Khan on strike. He sliced a yorker over point. FOUR. Then Miller got the strike. He hit a massive six over covers.
Equation: 2 runs needed off the last over.
Over 20: Chris Jordan.David Miller on strike. He didn't waste time. First ball. Length. Miller swung. It flew over long-off.
SIX!
GUJARAT TITANS WIN BY 4 WICKETS!
Scorecard:GT: 170/6 (19.1 Overs).David Miller: 58* (31). Rashid Khan: 40* (21).
The dugout went onto the field for celebration and handshake. I was the first one there. I hugged Miller. "Killer! You beauty!" Then I grabbed Rashid. "You can bat! You can seriously bat just as you said and did in Practice matches!"
Post-Match Presentation.
Harsha Bhogle: "I am speechless. At 72 for 6, most teams fold. But Gujarat Titans found a hero in David Miller and a partner in Rashid Khan. David, what was the chat?"
David Miller (Player of the Match): "We just said we'd take it deep. Rashid is a freak. He hits the ball in strange areas. It took the pressure off me. We knew if we took it to the last 2 overs, we had a chance."
Aarav Pathak (Captain): "I told you guys. We aren't a team of stars. We are a team of match-winners. Today, the top order failed. But the lower order stood up. That is what championship teams do."
Ravi Shastri (Comms): "They have silenced Chepauk. Not with dominance, but with resilience. This Gujarat Titans team... they have found a way to win from the dead. That is a dangerous habit."
I looked at the scoreboard. 6 Wins. 0 Losses. The train wasn't just moving; it was unstoppable.
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April 23, 2022. Vijay Khel Maidan, Patra City.Match 35: Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders.Time: 3:00 PM (Pre-Match).
The Gujarat summer had arrived with a vengeance. The mercury hovered near 40 degrees Celsius, turning the air above the pitch into a shimmering mirage. Usually, IPL matches are played under the cool comfort of floodlights, but today was a Saturday double-header. The 3:30 PM start meant we would be battling the sun as much as the opposition.
But the heat hadn't deterred the crowd. If anything, it had intensified their fervor.
I stood in the dressing room, looking at the mirror. The reflection stared back in an unfamiliar color. Gone was the deep Navy Blue. Today, the Gujarat Titans were dressed in White and Gold.
It was a special edition kit for our day matches, designed to reflect the innovation and promote Astra. The fabric was lighter, breathable, and frankly, it looked royal. The gold lightning bolt stood out sharply against the pristine white.
"We look like a Test team that got lost on the way to a fashion show," Shubman Gill joked, adjusting his collar.
"We look like bosses," Rahul Tewatiagrinned, flexing in the mirror. "White suits us."
"Focus," Ashish Nehra clapped his hands. "It's hot out there. Hydrate. Use the ice towels. Don't let the heat fry your brains."
Team News: We made one change. The Chepauk experiment was over. Arshdeep Singh returned to the playing XI to bolster the pace attack on the hard Patra City deck. Sai Kishore, despite his heroics in Chennai, made way. It was horses for courses.
Time: 3:00 PM.
I walked out to the center. The heat hit me like a physical blow, but the roar of the crowd cooled me down instantly. The stadium was a sea of white—the fans had embraced the theme. 60,000 people wearing the special edition jersey made the stadium look like a gathering of clouds.
Shreyas Iyer, the KKR captain, was waiting. He was wearing the purple and gold, sweating already. Ravi Shastri stood with the mic.
"Afternoon, gentlemen," Shastri boomed. "Hot enough for you?"
"Just warming up," I smiled behind my sunglasses.
"Shreyas, spin it."
Shreyas flicked the coin. "Heads," I called. It was Tails.
I sighed. "I think the coin is rigged against me."
Shreyas Iyer: "We will bowl first."
A massive cheer went up from the KKR contingent, but mostly from the Gujarat fans who wanted to see their team bat.
Shastri: "Bowl first? In 40 degrees? That's a tough shift in the field, Shreyas."
Shreyas: "Yeah, it's hot, but the pitch looks good. It might slow down a bit later under the sun, but we back our chasers. We have Russell and myself. We want to know the target."
Shastri: "Aarav, lost another toss here in gujrat. But you get to bat. Happy?"
Aarav: "Very happy. We love setting targets here. We bat, we score big, and then we let our bowlers use the scoreboard pressure."
The toss was done. I walked towards the boundary line to conduct a quick interview with the host broadcaster while the openers padded up.
As I neared the North Stand the student stronghold, I noticed something different. Usually, they chanted "Aarav! Aarav!" or "GT! GT!" But today, there was a new rhythm. A heavy, rhythmic drumbeat accompanied a chant in Gujarati.
"SHETH SAHEB! SHETH SAHEB!"(Boss! Boss!)
I stopped, confused. I looked up. Hundreds of placards were held up.
SHEETH SAHEB AARAV. (શેઠ સાહેબ આરવ). APDO SHETH, AARAV SHETH. (Our Boss, Aarav Boss).
It clicked. In Gujarat, "Sheth" is a term of immense respect used for a business owner, or a community leader. It implies wealth, yes, but also responsibility. It implies the man who runs the show. I wasn't just the captain anymore. I was the Owner. I was the man who built the city they were sitting in.
I laughed, shaking my head. I waved at them. The chant grew louder. "SHETH SAHEB! SHETH SAHEB!"
It was affectionate, cultural, and uniquely Gujarati. It grounded me in the soil of the state.
Harsha Bhogle (Comms): "Listen to that! A new title for the local hero. 'Sheth Saheb'. It means 'The Boss' or 'The Owner'. Fitting, isn't it? He owns the team, he built the stadium, and right now, he owns the IPL."
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