Match overview
Chennai Super Kings are the 2023 IPL champions. On 29 May 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, CSK chased down Gujarat Titans' 214/4 to win by 5 wickets and claim their fifth IPL title. Devon Conway was named Player of the Match for an innings that gave the run-chase its shape from the opening overs. Gujarat's total was above the ground's average first-innings score of 206, but Chennai were equal to it.
CSK won the toss and chose to field, a decision borne out by both the result and the venue's own tendencies: 60 per cent of toss winners at this ground opt to bowl first. Chennai's openers then gave the chase an outstanding start, posting 72 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket. That early momentum proved essential when five wickets tumbled in the middle overs for 99 runs. Gujarat Titans had themselves posted 62 in their powerplay and added 71 at the death, making this a final played at relentless pace throughout.
Venue and conditions
Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket ground in the world and, across 95 T20 matches, produces reliably high scores. The average first-innings total is 206 and the average second-innings total is 196, both figures that confirm batting-friendly conditions more often than not. Teams must account for the powerplay, where the average return is 43 runs, though both sides in this final exceeded that comfortably.
The death-overs phase averages 38 runs at this ground, yet Gujarat managed 71 in that period, which speaks to the quality and aggression of their lower middle-order hitting. The toss has a meaningful influence here: 60 per cent of captains field first when they win the coin flip, and the chase success rate sits at 53 per cent across the ground's T20 history. On a surface this true, the team with the stronger top order tends to dictate terms, and CSK's powerplay of 72 without loss illustrated exactly that.
How to watch
IPL matches are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with live and on-demand streaming available through Sky Go and NOW TV. The 2023 IPL Final took place on the evening of 29 May 2023 Indian Standard Time, which placed it in the UK afternoon. For upcoming IPL fixtures, Sky Sports' schedule is the most reliable source for confirmed UK start times. International subscribers can also check whether their local broadcaster carries the IPL feed.
Recent form
Chennai Super Kings came into this final in strong condition. Their five most recent results before the match showed four wins, including victories over Delhi Capitals (twice) and Mumbai Indians, alongside a loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. Crucially, one of those wins was a 15-run victory over Gujarat Titans at Chepauk earlier in the 2023 season, which gave CSK a psychological edge and a tactical reference point.
Gujarat Titans' form was more mixed, with three wins and two losses in their last five. They had beaten Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore but dropped matches to Chennai and Mumbai Indians. Reaching the final, however, was evidence of their consistency across the tournament as a whole, and their first-innings performance of 214/4 showed they had lost none of their batting ambition when it mattered most. CSK's title win extends their record as one of the IPL's most successful franchises, and attention now turns to how Gujarat rebuild for the following season.
