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The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an epic conclusion with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lifting the title following a chaotic encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The 75-match affair spread across two months was largely a batter's affair, especially with the return of the home and away format coupled with the introduction of the Impact Player rule. The season saw the 200-run mark being breached on a regular basis and the most number of sixes being hit in the competition's 16-year history.
With the rules and conditions favoring the batters, the players made the most of it by punishing the bowlers across all areas of the innings. Record powerplay scores were amassed, the usual slow middle overs were not spared, and the exploits understandably switched gears in the death overs considerably more than before.
All of the efforts by the batters resulted in a slew of memorable innings for their respective sides.
On that note, here is a look at the top five knocks of IPL 2023.
#1 Shubman Gill (129 off 60, GT vs MI; Qualifier 2, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad)
IPL 2023 Orange Cap winner Shubman Gill played one of the greatest T20 innings in a high-pressure knockout contest against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
The young Gujarat Titans (GT) batter notched his third hundred of his campaign in the Qualifier 2 clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Ahmedabad.
Making the most of the purple patch, Gill was at his sublime best as he tore the MI bowling unit apart. He was near-invincible in the middle overs and ended up hitting six fours and 10 sixes in his innings.
His knock ended up being in a winning cause as GT qualified for the final for the second consecutive time.
#2 Sai Sudharsan (96 off 47, GT vs CSK; IPL 2023 Final, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad)
IPL finals present themselves as arguably the biggest contest in the global franchise landscape. To perform at such a stage requires unbelievable composure and skill, something which GT's Sai Sudharsan showed in the 2023 final.
The young uncapped batter shrugged off a sluggish start and switched gears in the blink of an eye. He scored 96 runs off just 47 deliveries, out of which the last 90 runs came in 38 deliveries. He took down Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs and his knock comprised eight fours and six sixes.
The left-handed batter perished in the final over but his knock propelled GT to 214-3 in the final encounter, albeit in a losing cause.
#3 Suryakumar Yadav (103* off 49, MI vs GT; Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai)
The No.1-ranked T20I batter did not have the best of starts to the 2023 IPL, which mirrored MI's struggles initially. However, he turned a corner midway through the season and ended up having a record campaign for MI.
Suryakumar Yadav recorded his maiden IPL hundred in the season during MI's win over GT at the Wankhede Stadium. His extraordinary hitting and unorthodox strokeplay were all on display as he scored an unbeaten 103 runs off just 49 balls with the help of 11 fours and six sixes.
His efforts propelled MI to 218-4, a total that proved to be enough despite Rashid Khan's late heroics with the bat during the run chase.
#4 Yashasvi Jaiswal (98* off 47, KKR vs RR; Eden Gardens, Kolkata)
In a crucial contest for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their bid to remain alive in the race for the playoffs, Yashasvi Jaiswal stepped up in a significant manner. The uncapped youngster exploded right from the word go during their run chase of 150.
Jaiswal took down Nitish Rana who bowled the first over of the second innings. The left-handed batter made the most of the superb start by recording the fastest fifty in the tournament's history. The Eden Gardens were floored as Jaiswal brought the half-century mark in just 13 balls.
He ultimately ended up with an unbeaten 98 runs off 47 deliveries, which comprised 12 fours and five sixes.
#5 Rinku Singh (48* off21, KKR vs GT; Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad)
Rinku Singh's match-winning cameo to help KKR record a last-ball win over the defending champions in their own backyard will arguably be the moment of the season.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were down and out after they were left with 29 runs to scale off the final over in Ahmedabad. Rinku, after getting the strike back, instilled belief after hitting Yash Dayal for two consecutive sixes.
Belief turned into reality as the uncapped player struck three more sixes to seal the contest in the final ball. He ended up unbeaten with 48 runs off 21 balls as KKR chased down the 205-run target.
Rinku made the most of the stunning knock and had a landmark season for KKR in IPL 2023.
