"Came out of syllabus" - Fans erupt as Sai Sudharsan delivers sensational 96-run knock in IPL 2023 final between GT and CSK

Gujarat Titans (GT) batter Sai Sudharsan stole the show with his masterful knock in the IPL 2023 final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29.

The left-handed batter walked out to bat at No.3 after Shubman Gill's dismissal in the seventh over. While Sudharsan started off slowly, he upped the ante once he got set.

Sudharsan played some breathtaking shots during his stay at the crease and propelled his team into pole position with a 96-run kock in just 47 deliveries. He finished with a wonderful strike rate of 204.26, hitting six maximums and eight fours.

The talented youngster missed out on a well-deserved hundred as he was out LBW to Matheesha Pathirana in the final over of the GT innings.

A number of fans took to social media, lauding Sai Sudharsan for his brilliant innings in the big match. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:

Notably, Sai Sudharsan has been a vital cog for the Gujarat Titans this season. The southpaw has mustered 362 runs across eight innings at an average of 51.71. He has three half-centuries to his name in IPL 2023.

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GT register highest-ever total in an IPL final thanks to Sai Sudharsan's heroics with the bat

CSK skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to field first in the title decider. Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha provided their team with a fantastic start, stitching together a 67-run partnership for the first wicket.

While Gill departed after scoring 39, Saha continued to counter-attack. The keeper-batter hit a fine half-century, finishing with 54 runs from 39 deliveries.

Sai Sudharsan stepped up in the high-pressure game, delivering a knock to remember. Skipper Hardik Pandya also chipped in with a valuable 21*-run cameo, as GT finished at 214/4 after their 20 overs.

It is worth mentioning that this is the highest-ever score posted by a team in an IPL final. For CSK, Maheesh Theekshana was the most economical bowler, conceding 36 runs from his full quota of four overs.