IPL 2022: From beating LSG in opening game to losing to RCB in final league game, GT’s road to playoffs – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Gujarat Titans (GT) have had quite the journey so far in their debut season at the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the Hardik Pandya-led and Ashish Nehra-coached outfit dished out quite the performance in the league stage of the 15th edition to finish top of the table.

Gujarat had signed Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) respectively in addition to making former Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya their captain and went on to acquire the services of the likes of David Miller, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Rahul Tewatia in the mega auction that took place earlier in February.

Gujarat Titans finished on top of the IPL 2022 points table at the end of the league phase. Sportzpics

While it did have a promising squad in place, all the potential would’ve come down to naught had they not got their execution right. And the Titans have been more than impressive in their maiden season, winning 10 out of the 14 league games. What especially stood out in their performances was their ability to hold their nerve in tense situations and come out on top.

Ahead of Qualifier 1 of IPL 2022, in which the top-ranked Titans face off against the second-placed Rajasthan Royals, we relive their journey to the knockouts:

Beat LSG by 5 wickets at Wankhede, 28 March: Gujarat began their campaign by squaring off against fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on Match Day 3 of the season. Shami led the way with figures of 3/25, restricting Lucknow to 158/6, before Rahul Tewatia’s unbeaten 40, along with a series of 30s from the likes of Matthew Wade, Pandya and Miller helped them chase the target down with two balls to spare, and get their campaign off to a winning start.

Beat DC by 14 runs in Pune, 2 April: Gill was the standout player in this game with an explosive 84 off just 46 deliveries, helping GT set DC 172 to win. Delhi, in reply, were very much in the hunt in the middle overs with Rishabh Pant at the crease before losing wickets in a cluster to ultimately fall short by 14 runs. Ferguson stood out among the bowlers with 4/28.

Beat PBKS by 6 wickets at Brabourne, 8 April: Gujarat completed a hat-trick of victories at the start of their campaign with a thrilling victory over Punjab in a high-scoring game at the Cricket Club of India, Gill once again producing a brilliant knock as he 59-ball 96 kept Titans in the chase. Punjab though, made a late comeback and with an equation of 12 off two and Odean Smith the bowler, one would’ve expected them to come out on top. In came Rahul Tewatia, who has a thing for the Punjab Kings, especially their West Indian bowlers, as he pulled off a memorable victory with two consecutive sixes.

Lost to SRH by 8 wickets at DY Patil, 11 April: After three wins on the trot at the start of their season, Gujarat suffered their first defeat at the hands of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Abhishek Sharma (42) and skipper Kane Williamson (57) got Hyderabad off to a confident start before Nicholas Pooran (34 not out off 18) providing the finishing touches, as the ‘Orange Army’ chased down the 163-run target with eight wickers and five deliveries to spare.

Beat RR by 37 runs at DY Patil, 14 April: Gujarat returned to winning ways soon after the defeat to the Sunrisers with a one-sided victory over the Royals at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. Pandya played a captain’s knock, remaining unbeaten on 87 off 52 to guide his team to a commanding 192/4, before Ferguson’s (3/23) and Yash Dayal’s (3/40) three-fers restricted Rajasthan to 155/9.

Beat CSK by 3 wickets in Pune, 17 April: Ruturaj Gaikwad produced a fine-effort for defending champions CSK, smashing a 48-ball 73 to help his side recover from a shaky start and post 169/5 on the board. His knock, though, would get well overshadowed by Miller’s brilliant 94 not out off 51 balls. Gujarat looked down and out at 87/5 at one stage before Miller led the revival in the company of Rashid Khan, who pitched in with a valuable 40 off 21 as Gujarat won in the penultimate delivery of the chase.

Beat KKR by 8 runs at the DY Patil, 23 April: A match remembered mainly for Andre Russell’s brilliant final over in the Gujarat innings in which she collected four wickets for just five runs, restricting GT to 156/9 after they looked like they could’ve got close to 180 at one stage. Russell would later star with the bat as well with a 25-ball 48, but unfortunately didn’t get enough support from his teammates as they finished eight short of the Gujarat total.

Beat SRH by 5 wickets at Wankhede, 27 April: After suffering an eight-wicket loss earlier in the season, Gujarat made it one-apiece as far as their season record against the ‘Orange Army’ went. The Titans once again held their nerve in the tense moments as a brilliant unbroken sixth-wicket stand between Tewatia (40 off 21) and Rashid (31 off 11) helped the Titans clinch another chase that went down to the final ball.

Beat RCB by 6 wickets at Brabourne, 30 April: The Royal Challengers, riding on Virat Kohli’s (58) and Rajat Patidar’s (52) half-centuries, posted a competitive 170/6 on the board though Kohli did come under criticism for his strike rate. The top-order got Gujarat off to a promising start but it was the middle order that once again won them the game, with Miller (39) and Tewatia (43) stitching an unbroken 79-run stand for the fifth wicket that helped them chase down the target with three balls to spare.

Lost to PBKS by 8 wickets at DY Patil, 3 May: Gujarat had been on a five-game winning streak entering this contest, but barring a superb 50-ball 65 by rookie batter Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat batting order hardly fired as they posted a below-par 143/8. Punjab cruised to the target with eight wickets and four overs to spare, riding on Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 62.

Lost to MI by 5 runs at Brabourne, 6 May: Gujarat finished on the wrong side of a thriller for once as a brilliant final over by Daniel Sams helped the Mumbai Indians collect a second win on the trot following an eight-game losing streak. Openers Gill and Wriddhiman Saha got off to a rollicking start after MI posted 177/6, stitching a 106-run opening stand, and though they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, they were well within range of the target.

Daniel Sams of Mumbai Indians celebrates the win over Gujarat Titans. Sportzpics

GT needed nine off six balls and with Miller and Tewatia at the crease, the task seemed like a cakewalk. Sams though, was outstanding with his variations, especially the slower ones, and produced what could be considered one of the best final overs in the tournament.

Beat LSG by 62 runs in Pune, 10 May: Gujarat had hit a roadblock of sorts after back-to-back losses at the hands of PBKS and MI, and needed to ensure they didn’t lose steam towards the business end of the tournament. With a commanding bowling performance against LSG in a low-scoring encounter, in which they bundled out KL Rahul and Co for a meagre 82 after setting them 144 to win, the Titans once again reminded rival teams of their credentials as one of the title favourites this season. Leading leg-spinner Rashid was at his lethal best in this game with a haul of 4/24. The victory also made them the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season.

Beat CSK by 7 wickets at Wankhede, 15 May: Shami was at his economical best as Gujarat completed a season double over Chennai, restricting them to a modest 133/5 with the ‘Yellow Army’ finding themselves stifled throughout their innings. Saha then led the way with a 57-ball 67 as the Titans cruised home with seven wickets and five balls to spare.

Lost to RCB by 8 wickets at Wankhede, 19 May: A captain’s knock by Pandya (62 not out off 47) helped GT post 168/5 on the board, and they would’ve backed their bowling unit to successfully defend the total and end the league stage with a victory. Unfortunately, the Gujarat bowling unit ran into an inspired Kohli, who finally rediscovered his old touch with a 48-ball 73 that, along with Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 40 off 18, helped RCB win by eight wickets with more than an over to spare.

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