AHMEDABAD: IPL 2022 has been the story of Gujarat Titans running all the way to winning the competition in their debut season. A victory made on the back of all-round contributions from everyone in the playing eleven throughout the tournament is also the first time many players became IPL champions.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who kept things tight with 1/18 in his four overs during the final against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, calls clinching the IPL 2022 trophy 'a high point' of his career.
"We assessed the wicket well; we knew it would be hard to chase down 150. Everyone had to take responsibility, we did well to come back well in the middle overs. He is the only guy whom we didn't want to bowl to and I'm happy that he's part of our team (on Shubman Gill)."
"Biggest achievement of your career is to be part of a winning IPL team. You always want to do well in big competitions like this. Winning tournaments like this, you'll need to put in a lot of hard work and this is certainly a high point of my career," said Rashid in a post-match chat with broadcasters Star Sports.
1/10:Gujarat Titans win IPL title
<p>Hardik Pandya starred with bat and ball as Gujarat Titans clinched the IPL title in their debut season with a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in front of a record crowd of 104,859 in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
2/10:Champions Gujarat Titans
<p>Pandya returned figures of 3-17 to restrict Rajasthan to 130 for nine in the lop-sided final at the world's biggest cricket stadium and Gujarat's home ground. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
3/10:Pandya the batsman
<p>Pandya then made 34 with the bat before Shubman Gill (45*) and David Miller (32*) steered the team home in 18.1 overs to bring the house down at the 132,000 capacity stadium. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
4/10:Key wickets
<p>Pandya set up victory with his key wickets including Jos Buttler's prized scalp for 39 after Rajasthan, led by Sanju Samson, elected to bat first. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
5/10:Jos Buttler
<p>Buttler finished this season as the leading batsman with 863 runs and his wicket raised the roof at a stadium bigger than the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
6/10:Rashid Khan
<p>Rashid Khan returned impressive figures of 1-18 from his four overs of leg-spin to keep down the opposition scoring. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
7/10:Pandya the bowler
<p>Pandya, who sent back his opposite number Samson for 14, kept up the pressure and got the big-hitting Shimron Hetmyer out for 11 with a caught and bowled. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
8/10:Mohammed Shami
<p>Fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Yash Dayal, who got opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for 22, worked up good pace to keep Rajasthan on the backfoot from the start. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
9/10:Gill and Pandya
<p>In reply, Gujarat lost Wriddhiman Saha for five and Matthew Wade for eight before Gill and Pandya put the chase back on track. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
10/10:The onslaught
<p>Gill and Pandya put on 63 runs for the third wicket to put the pressure back on the bowling side as Pandya smashed Ravichandran Ashwin for a four and six in the 12th over. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>The same sentiment was echoed by Gill, who survived two dropped chances and finished off the innings to remain unbeaten at 45 off 43 balls. "It means a lot. After winning the under-19 World Cup, winning the IPL is just as big. It is my fourth year. I wanted to be there till the end and that was the talk with the coaches. Glad I took them over the line."
Gujarat's bowling attack reiterated why they were the best in the tournament when they restricted Rajasthan to a below-par 130/9, thanks to 3/17 from Hardik Pandya. "Our bowlers bowled really well to restrict them to 130. We wanted to keep them under 150 but fortunately it was much lesser," added Gill.
David Miller, enjoying his most prolific IPL season, starred in the final with an unbeaten 32 off just 19 balls to make Gujarat champions. Reflecting on the season, Miller said, "It's been a phenomenal journey, finishing it at the back end was a special feeling, but it has been a collective effort, everyone has stuck up their hand and performed well. Definitely my best season."
"(Pandya) He's been very relaxed; we've had a very good bond with Ashish (Nehra) and Hardik. He's got better and better as the competition gone on, tactically he's been brilliant. Just grown from strength to strength."
