Staff Reporter.
Hardik Pandya was the conjurer and the mastermind with bat, ball and tactics as the Gujarat Titans claimed their first IPL title in their maiden season as they cruised to a seven-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare over the Rajasthan Royals before a jubilant world record crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.
A delirious home crowd of 104 859 greeted their heroes’ victory with a wall of noise as Shubman Gill pulled Obed McCoy for six at the beginning of the penultimate over to overtake their opponents’ modest total of 130 for nine.
The home team, led by a cool, calculating Hardik Pandya, had led the log before the playoffs, and already beaten the Royals in the first playoff. They repeated that dose with even more conviction in the final.
There were moments of uncertainty in the Titans’ run chase with Wriddhiman Saha going early for five before Matthew Wade was dismissed cheaply by Trent Boult as he chipped to midwicket. But although the Titans started even more slowly than their opponents, their overall task did not require them to play with risky abandon.
Nevertheless, the vast crowd held its breath with their team on 23 for two wickets in the fifth over, but then their captain entered the fray at a crucial time to help Shubman Gill add a vital 63 for the third wicket. Showing plenty of calm in the fevered atmosphere, Pandya took charge of the run chase with some fine strokes.
And although he eventually departed for 34 in 30 balls, caught at slip off a superb delivery from legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, the comforting figure of David Miller – enjoying his best season in the IPL – was on hand to crack three fours and a six as he saw his team home with Gill who finished unbeaten on 45 in 43 balls, an important pillar in his team’s innings.
Not Enough Runs
Earlier, Rajasthan had simply not scored enough runs to apply much pressure on their opponents who only had to score at 6.5 runs an over to win the match.
Pandya, who captained his team brilliantly, choosing the right bowlers at the right time with unerring judgment, also received their backing as they never allowed the Royals’ batsmen off the leash.
Even Jos Buttler, the tournament’s Orange Cap best batsman, was kept on a tight rein. The Royals’ gun batsman with four centuries and the second highest tally of runs this year in the competition’s history, was unable to make his mark, finally finishing with 39 in 35 balls – five fours but no sixes – a thoroughly modest return for a batsman of his destructive ability.
The signs were there in the power play after Sanju Samson won the toss and opted to bat first, a predictable decision. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, desperately trying to heave every ball into the crowd, missed more deliveries than he hit. He did clout a couple of sixes but it was no surprise when he was caught on the midwicket boundary by Sai Kishore at the end of the fourth over.
The power play ended with the Royals on a modest 44 for one with Buttler only occasionally showing his ability with the odd cut or drive.
Mixed up his Bowling
The early introduction of Rashid Khan in the sixth over meant that the batsmen remained wary of the master legspinner and his remarkable accuracy and ability to turn the ball at pace, but it was the captain himself who made the next breakthrough, forcing Samson to sky a delivery to deep point where Kishore took his second catch.
The best was yet to come, however, for Pandya’s key wicket was that of Buttler who followed immediately afterwards on the same total, trying to run a delivery down to third man and edging a simple catch to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Not content with that, Pandya, who mixed up his bowling to include searing bouncers as well as pace off the ball, forced Shimron Hetmyer to offer a return catch off the leading edge to make the Royals a desperate 94 for five at the end of the 15th over.
There was to be no recovery from this position by the Royals who stumbled lamely to their final total. Pandya finished with the remarkable figures of 3/17 while Khan took 1/18 in his four overs. Mohammed Shami then completed the rout in the final over when he uprooted the stumps of Riyan Parag to polish off the innings.
Afterwards, a delighted Titans’ batting coach, Gary Kirsten, said: “I’m really chuffed. You are looking for balance and depth at the auction but the most important thing is that you need guys who are versatile. We had a strong bowling attack throughout the tournament and towards the end we even went a bowler extra and a batter light.
“Hardik (Pandya) has been incredibly humble and eager to learn. He batted beautifully, taking responsibility which is different from what we have seen of him in the IPL. T20 is a very tactical game. It’s incredible winning in your first season in front of 100 000 people.”
Added a joyful Miller: “It has been a phenomenal journey. It has been a collective effort throughout the season. Hardik has gotten better and better as the season progressed. Definitely my best season.”
Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya (capt), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (capt & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy, Yuzvendra Chahal.