Pictures of the week: From Shubman Gill's masterclass to Ravindra Jadeja's heroics

The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League culminated with a classic encounter between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The titanic battle at the Narendra Modi Stadium saw Chennai Super Kings lift a record fifth title, the joint most in IPL history.

While the IPL was a grand event on its own, there were some sizzling performances in the lead-up to the final. Be it Shubman Gill's highest individual score in a knockout match or Akash Madhwal's captivating bowling spell against Lucknow Super Giants, the crowd were thoroughly entertained during the playoffs of IPL 2023.

Here are the best pictures to roundoff an entertaining week in cricket

Bend it like Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings' Qualifier 1 against defending champions Gujarat Titans at the Cheapuk witnessed a controversial moment when CSK skipper MS Dhoni tried to bowl Matheesha Pathirana in the 16th over. The on-field umpires prevented Dhoni from doing so, as the Sri Lankan pacer was not eligible to bowl due to not spending the stipulated time on the field after his break. However, the former Indian skipper engaged in a lengthy argument with the officials, running down the clock to ensure Pathirana's eligibility. Dhoni did not break any rule, but he did bend it.

CSK bowlers rejoice after sealing IPL 2023 final spot

A sluggish surface in Chennai saw the home side topple reigning champions Gujarat Titans in a hard-fought contest. While it was tough going for the batters, CSK bowlers, especially the spinners applied the choke in the middle overs. 

Cutting out the noise

Lucknow Super Giants' Afghan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq became the talk of the town after his infamous spat with former RCB skipper Virat Kohli. The young pacer, who was the subject of online abuse and taunts after his on-field antics, silenced the naysayers with a brilliant bowling spell against Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. He dished out a unique celebration after ripping apart the Mumbai top-order at Chepauk.  

A star is born

Mumbai Indians unearthed a star during their all-important clash against LSG when Akash Madhwal sent the record books tumbling with a staggering bowling performance. The 29-year-old pacer who was playing tennis ball cricket not too long ago, dismissed five Lucknow batters by just giving away five runs to singlehandedly end LSG's IPL 2023 campaign.

A commander's battle cry

Gujarat Titans' influential skipper Hardik Pandya was seen rallying his troops at the Narendra Modi Stadium ahead of their pivotal clash against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2.

Reaching for the stars

Young Indian opener Shubman Gill deflated Mumbai Indians after compiling one of the innings of the tournament in Qualifier 2, breaking records, left, right and centre. His swashbuckling century, the highest individual score in IPL knockouts, helped GT to a match-winning total. 

Celebrations galore after second successive IPL final

Gujarat Titans' camp erupted in celebration after their team sealed their passage to the IPL 2023 final, their second in as many years. 

Setting the stage on fire

The IPL 2023 Final was a grand event, featuring some of the biggest names from the music industry. The pre-match show ahead of the summit clash saw Nucleya and King entertain the crowd with their groovy performances.

Blink and you'll miss it

The defending champions got off to a rollicking start in the final against CSK after Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha's blistering partnership. But CSK's iconic skipper put a halt to their carnage after ending Gill's assault with a lightning-quick stumping. The replays confirmed it took Dhoni just 0.1 sec to whip the bails off, still the fastest hands behind the wicket.

Rising to the occasion

Big players often save their best for the last, and Gujarat's Sai Sudharsan did exactly the same, carving his name into the history books with a dazzling innings. 

A fairytale farewell

CSK's veteran Indian batter Ambati Rayudu announced his IPL retirement ahead of the final against Gujarat Titans, and the middle-order stalwart went out with a bang. He changed the complexion of the contest with a fiery cameo in his last-ever outing in the competition. 

Leap of a champion

Gujarat Titans had one hand on the trophy after Mohit Sharma bowled impeccable first four balls in the very last over of the rain-shortened final. However, Ravindra Jadeja had other plans as the star Indian all-rounder smashed a maximum and a boundary to seal an earth-shattering chase.

Running high on emotions

Ravindra Jadeja's heroic assault in the last over sent a full house crowd in Ahmedabad into a frenzy. The local hero walked to acknowledge the crowd before being lifted up from the ground by an emotional MS Dhoni, a sight that is rarer than finding a pearl in the ocean.

Bouncing back in style

Chennai Super Kings endured a turbulent IPL 2022 campaign with plenty of issues to resolve for the team management. They weren't given much of a chance ahead of this year's tournament either, given the plethora of injuries in the CSK camp. However, they defied all odds to lift their fifth IPL title with their iconic skipper at his tactical best. 

India eyes redemption 

Team India have amped up their preparation for the blockbuster World Test Championship Final clash against Australia at the Oval. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has joined the training camp along with batting maestro Virat Kohli and middle-order bulwark Cheteshwar Pujara.