Hardik Pandya managed to lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their ‘dream’ title.
Gujarat Titans (GT) with a score of 133 runs for the loss of 3 wickets defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) who made 130 runs and lost 9 wickets.
Hardik Pandya, the captain, starred with the bat and ball to lead the GT team to glory. At the home ground with around 100000spectators, he ripped through the RR team by managing to dismiss Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmeyer and Sanju Samson.
This damage was irreparable for a line-up that had Riyan Parag, R Ashwin Obed McCoy and Trent Boult along with Yuzvendra Chahal and Prasidh Krishna.
In the defense of 130 runs, the RR team could take out Saha and also Wade early on. Hardik managed to stop them in their tracks by making 34 runs off only 30 balls.
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The slowdown of RR
The ‘powerplay’ dasher, Yashavi Jaiswal, needed 8 balls to start off. He, finally, was able to pump Shami for boundaries over extra-cover.
Buttler managed to reach 10 runs off 14 balls in the powerplay, and seem to be struggling for his stay of 35 balls. Samson was forced to take risks due to this slowdown of the openers.
Master class of Hardik
Devdutt Padikkal could not score even a single run for 7 balls due to Hardik pounding hard-lengths. Finally, Paddikal threw his bat at Rashid Khan and swished a catch for 2 runs off 10 balls.
Buttler was all set for breaking free with the fours, back-to-back off Shami in the 10th over, but Hardik managed to dismiss him for 39. It seemed that Hardik was not over yet, he managed to dismiss Hetmeyer with a ‘return’ catch for 11 runs off 12 balls.
Sai Kishore at the death
Hardik introduced Sai Kishore after Hetmyer and Paddikal were dismissed. Kishore got the wickets of Boult and Ashwin.
Sai Kishore is known to be the most economical bowlers in T20. This tournament has given him the reputation that is enhanced.
Gill, Miller bring GT home
The only way in which the RR team could get back into the game was to ensure they could get early wickets. Prasidh and Bout managed to do just that. They dismissed Wade and Saha. The GT team was 22 for the loss of 2 in the 5tho ver.
Gill managed to escape a dismissal and went on to make 45 runs off 43 balls. It was Hardik, once again, who managed to put the chase of the GT team on track. He hit 3 boundaries in 7 balls when he was on 11 runs off 17 balls.
When Chahal trid to coax an ‘outside’ edge from the captain of the GT team, he managed to snatch the ‘purple’ cap from Hasaranga. Miller laid into the attack of the RR team and was able to give the GT team a rousing finish and honored them with the ‘winner’ title of the IPL2022.
