A Look Back at the 2023 Indian Premier League Season: The Highs and Lows

Key Highlights :

1. The 2023 Indian Premier League is set to conclude Monday with Chennai Super Kings chasing a record-equalling fifth title against defending champions Gujarat Titans.

2. Shubman Gill has transformed himself across multiple formats and in this IPL was the highest scorer with 851 runs -- and counting because he is set to play in the final.

3. India great Kapil Dev tentatively put him in the same bracket as the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

4. Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana excelled during the tournament with 17 wickets for Chennai and his ability to bowl yorkers with a slinging action similar to his hero Lasith Malinga.

5. Chase-master Rinku Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Rinku Singh became an overnight sensation with his match-winning five sixes off the final five balls in a scarcely believable chase against Gujarat. His unbeaten 21-ball 48 was no flash in the pan as the left-handed batsman registered four half-centuries and mastered the art of finishing games.

6. India failed to make the playoffs, despite Rinku's unbeaten 67 off 33 balls in their last match against Lucknow.

7. England's World Cup-winning all-rounder Sam Curran seemed weighed down by the $2.23 million shelled out by Punjab Kings to make him the most expensive buy in IPL history.

8. Barring a few sparks with bat and ball, the left-handed Curran disappointed with 276 runs and 10 wickets to be the season's standout flop. His underwhelming form did little to help Punjab, who finished eighth in the table.

9. Harry Brook also failed to impress, despite hitting the first century of this season. Brook, snapped up by 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.6 million, scored 90 runs from his 10 matches apart from his 100 not out against Kolkata.

10. Prithvi Shaw was arguably the biggest flop amongst the Indian players with 106 runs in eight matches. Shaw, who had a promising start to his India career with a Test ton on debut, looked at sea against quality seam bowling in this edition and midway through lost his place in the XI.

11. Coach Ricky Ponting admitted the 23-year-old did not live up to expectations -- much like Delhi themselves, who began with five losses and ended ninth in the table.

12. Harry Brook also failed to impress, despite hitting the first century of this season. Brook, snapped up by 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.6 million, scored 90 runs from his 10 matches apart from his 100 not out against Kolkata.

     The Indian Premier League is one of the most popular cricket tournaments in the world, and the 16th edition of the tournament is set to come to a close on Monday. With Chennai Super Kings chasing a record-equalling fifth title against defending champions Gujarat Titans, it has been an exciting and eventful season. Here is a look back at some of the highs and lows of the 2023 IPL season.

     The season started off with a bang, as Shubman Gill emerged as the highest scorer with 851 runs. The 23-year-old opener smashed three centuries during the tournament, and his match-winning 129 off 60 balls propelled Gujarat past Mumbai to reach the title decider. India great Kapil Dev tentatively put him in the same bracket as the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

     Another standout performer during the season was Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana, who excelled with 17 wickets for Chennai. His ability to bowl yorkers with a slinging action similar to his hero Lasith Malinga earned him the nickname 'Baby Malinga', and he was the go-to option in the death overs for Chennai captain M.S. Dhoni.

     Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Rinku Singh also made a name for himself during the tournament. His unbeaten 21-ball 48 was no flash in the pan, as the left-handed batsman registered four half-centuries and mastered the art of finishing games. His red-hot displays raised talk of an India call-up.

     On the other hand, England's World Cup-winning all-rounder Sam Curran seemed weighed down by the $2.23 million shelled out by Punjab Kings to make him the most expensive buy in IPL history. Barring a few sparks with bat and ball, the left-handed Curran disappointed with 276 runs and 10 wickets to be the season's standout flop.

     Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw was arguably the biggest flop amongst the Indian players with 106 runs in eight matches. Shaw, who had a promising start to his India career with a Test ton on debut, looked at sea against quality seam bowling in this edition and midway through lost his place in the XI.

     England's Harry Brook also failed to impress, despite hitting the first century of this season. Brook, snapped up by 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad for $1.6 million, scored 90 runs from his 10 matches apart from his 100 not out against Kolkata. Hyderabad dropped the 24-year-old for three matches but the rest of the cast did little to save them from taking the wooden spoon in the 10-team table.

     The 2023 IPL season has been an exciting one, with some great performances and some disappointing ones. With the final set to take place on Monday, it will be interesting to see how the tournament ends and which team will be crowned champions.

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