Gujarat Titans (GT) fast bowler Mohit Sharma has opened up about his experience during the final over against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) final. The match, which took place on Monday, May 29, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, ended in a rain-marred encounter with CSK securing their fifth title with a last-ball victory.
Tasked with defending 13 runs in the final over against left-handed batsmen Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, veteran pacer Mohit Sharma displayed exceptional accuracy with his yorkers throughout most of the over. This left the CSK team needing 10 runs off the last two deliveries.
However, in a critical moment, Mohit Sharma missed his yorker on the penultimate delivery, allowing Jadeja to hit a six and put pressure on the bowler. Unfortunately for Mohit, he bowled a disappointing full-toss on leg-stump in the final delivery, which Jadeja swiftly dispatched for a boundary, ultimately sealing the victory for CSK.
Reflecting on the match, Mohit Sharma admitted that he had been unable to sleep, haunted by thoughts of what he could have done differently to secure the win. In an interview with the Indian Express, he said, “I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what I could have done differently to win the match. What if I had bowled a different ball? It’s not a pleasant feeling now. There seems to be something missing, but I’m trying to move on.”
Despite the disappointment of the final, Mohit Sharma emerged as one of the standout performers of the season, finishing with 27 wickets in 14 matches, just one behind the Purple Cap winner Mohammed Shami. Mohit played a significant role in the final, contributing crucial wickets that helped bring GT back into contention.