
Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated one-time winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2022 final, by seven wickets, to end their maiden season with their first-ever title. Hardik led from the front as he contributed with a match-winning spell, 4-0-17-3, whereas he also played a crucial hand with the bat (scoring a 30-ball 34) in a low-scoring match dominated by GT.
Opting to bat first, at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad, Sanju Samson-led RR posted only a moderate 130-9. In reply, Shubman Gill's 45 not out, David Miller's 19-ball 32 and Hardik's contributions closed the run-chase with seven wickets and 11 balls to spare.
After the match, Hardik pulled off an MS Dhoni during the end of the presentation ceremony. After receiving the IPL 2022 trophy, by BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, he quickly gave it to the Gujarat youngsters and stood at a corner (a trend started by Dhoni during his early days as India captain). Here's the video:
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At the post-match presenation, Hardik said, "This is the right example for any team in the world. If you can play as a team and build a good unit with genuine people around, wonders can happen. I and Ashu pa, we like to play proper bowlers. Batters can obviously chip in, but most of the time I have seen in T20 cricket - it's a batter's game but bowlers win you games. A lot of times we won the games as well, but we always spoke about what are the things we missed out and how we can get better from here. Everyone chipped in. Count myself lucky winning 5 finals, it's been exciting. This is going to be a special one. We spoke about creating a legacy. Generation to come, everyone will remember this was the team who started this journey and to win the championship first year is very special."