Debutant franchise Gujarat Titans maintained their inch-perfect record to become the first franchise to enter the IPL 2022 final.
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Debutant franchise Gujarat Titans led by a first-time captain, became the first team to qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs, before becoming the first side to qualify for the final on Tuesday. The Ahmedabad franchise will be taking on the second finalist on May 29 at their home ground in what could turn out to be an inch-perfect season for them.Â
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The Hardik Pandya-led side topped the group stage and became the first franchise to qualify for the playoffs with 10 wins and four losses which helped them accumulate 20 points and top the table. Gujarat Titans started their IPL 2022 campaign with three wins on the trot — LSG, DC, PBKS — before registering their first loss against SRH. The newcomers, then, bounced back with five consecutive victories over RR, CSK, KKR, SRH and RCB respectively before going down fighting to PBKS and MI. The latter part of the lucrative tournament saw them clinch victories over LSG and CSK before losing against RCB in their last league encounter.Â
Banking on their fine performance in the league stage and topping the table, Gujarat Titans qualified for the Qualifier 1 in the IPL 2022 playoffs, where they defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata to book the final berth. RR top-order batters Jos Buttler (89), captain Sanju Samson (47) and Devdutt Padikkal (28), played crucial knocks to take their side to a challenging 188/6 after being asked to bat. GT batters Shubman Gill (35), Matthew Wade (35), Hardik Pandya (40 not out), David Miller (68 not out), looked in control of the chase to take their side home with three balls to spare.Â
“All the 23 players are different characters, bringing different things to the table. Was saying to Miller as well, if you have good people around you, you get good things. It’s been that story for us. The kind of people we have, the genuine human beings we have.. I genuinely see even the players in the dugout are trying and praying for them to make sure they do well. That is something fantastic and that is the reason we have reached where we have reached. It’s all about making sure we respect this game. Rash has been fantastic throughout the season and throughout his cricketing journey. But I’m proud of Miller – the way we have played. Wherever my team requires me to play, I don’t generally demand where I want to bat. That’s not how I’ve got success. I’ve got success by playing for the team, no matter how scratchy I look, how good I look, irrelevant for me,” Pandya said after their win.Â
