"Fighting for both Orange and Purple Cap" - CSK pacer Tushar Deshpande faces wrath of fans after his costly spell in IPL 2023 final vs GT

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Tushar Deshpande struggled to get going in the all-important IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday, May 29.

The right-arm fast bowler was taken to the cleaners by the Gujarat batters in the crucial encounter. Deshpande failed to pick up a single wicket and conceded 56 runs from his full quota of four overs, finishing with an economy rate of 14.00.

A number of fans took to social media, trolling Deshpande for his underwhelming performance in the biggest match of the season. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter:

While Deshpande is the leading wicket-taker for CSK in IPL 2023 with 21 scalps in 16 matches, he has conceded 564 runs, the most by any bowler in a single season of the league.

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GT post highest-ever total in an IPL final

Chennai won the toss and decided to field first in Ahmedabad. Gujarat openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha kicked off the innings with a fantastic 67-run partnership.

Gill was the first batter to be dismissed in the contest. He was stumped by MS Dhoni off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling after scoring 39 runs. Saha went on to complete a brilliant half-century, mustering 54 runs before falling to Deepak Chahar.

However, it was Sai Sudharsan who stole the show. The left-handed batter walked out to bat at No. 3 and dazzled the viewers with his incredible knock. The southpaw missed out on a well-deserved century as he was dismissed at 96 (47 balls) in the final over of the innings.

Skipper Hardik Pandya also chipped in with a quick-fire cameo, remaining unbeaten on 21 off 12 deliveries. GT registered the highest-ever total in an IPL final, finishing 214/4 after 20 overs.

For CSK, Matheesha Pathirana picked up two wickets, while Deepak Chahar and Ravindra Jadeja bagged one scalp each. Maheesh Theekshana was the most economical bowler, giving away 36 runs in four overs.