Ambati Rayudu reveals reason behind MS Dhoni inviting him and Ravindra Jadeja to lift IPL 2023 trophy

CSK batsman Ambati Rayudu retired from the game after IPL 2023 final against GT.

Chennai Super Kings rewrote history when they beat Gujarat Titans in the final of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League at the Narendra Modi Stadium. CSK beat GT by five wickets to win their fifth IPL title, becoming joint-most IPL trophy holders with MI. It was a thrilling finish, and the game was won on the last ball of the match when Ravindra Jadeja hit a four. Chennai required 10 runs to win from the last two balls, and Jadeja smashed a six and a four to seal the deal for the team. However, it was not only Jadeja who helped CSK win the game.

Every CSK batter made a contribution. Devon Conway played a good innings of 47 of 25 at the start, and a brilliant cameo of 19 off 8 by Ambati Rayudu pushed CSK further close to victory. But after the win, MS Dhoni made a heartwarming gesture for Rayudu and Jadeja and called both stars to collect the IPL trophy during the post-match ceremony. Many former cricketers and others praised Dhoni for what he did. However, in his latest interview, Rayudu explained why Dhoni did it and asked them to collect the trophy.

"It was really special on his part"- Ambati Rayudu on MS Dhoni's heartwarming gesture

Notably, it was the last game for the 37-year-old as he announced ahead of the IPL final that he would retire from all forms of cricket after the IPL 2023 final. Thus, it was an incredible moment for him to lift the IPL trophy. The 37-year-old didn't have a great performance in the IPL 2023. He played 12 innings and scored 142 runs at an average of 15.78 and a strike rate of 130.28.

However, his cameo in the final was one of the reasons CSK reached a stiff target. In an interview with NDTV, the 37-year-old said that the CSK skipper called him and Jadeja after the win and asked them to collect the IPL trophy. He said, "Before the ceremony, he called me and Jaddu, saying he wants us to join him in lifting the trophy. He thinks it was the right moment to do it with both of us. It was really special on his part, I don't think that has ever happened. That's the person he is, and the person that the world knows. Overall, it is his gesture."

The veteran India batter finished his IPL career with 204 games and 4332 runs at an average and strike rate of 28.31 and 127.22, respectively. He also scored one century and 22 half-centuries in his IPL career. Even CSK head coach Stephen Fleming highlighted how important he was for the team. After the win, Fleming said that it will be a big hole to fill in the team and is an emotional moment for everyone.