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Watch: Hardik hilariously intervenes in Tewatia's interview as GT players celebrate maiden IPL crown
Gujarat's bowling attack, led by skipper Hardik Pandya (3/17) himself, limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals to 180/9 and then chased down the modest total in 18.1 overs.
Gujarat Titans on Sunday shrugged off pundits' concerns about their squad as the IPL newcomers beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to claim the crown in debut season. Gujarat's bowling attack, led by skipper Hardik Pandya (3/17) himself, limited a formidable Rajasthan Royals batting unit to 130 for nine after losing the toss. The IPL newbies then chased down the total in 18.1 overs with Shubman Gill and David Miller remaining unbeaten on 45 and 32, respectively, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. IPL 2022 Full Coverage
The world's biggest cricket stadium, also the home to the Gujarat franchise, witnessed Pandya's men celebrate the emphatic win. Chasing a modest 131 for victory, Gujarat lost Wriddhiman Saha for five and Matthew Wade for eight before Gill and Pandya put the chase back on track. Pandya perished for 34 but Gill amassed 45 off 43 balls and ended with a six that secured the victory. He hugged David Miller and, as the fireworks erupted, the Gujarat players came running onto the pitch to celebrate.
The 132,000 capacity stadium was the perfect stage for Gujarat to see a fairytale finish to their dominant IPL run. After the game, Titans all-rounder Rahul Tewatia explained how winning the title was his aim instead of having any personal goals. The power-hitter was also interrupted by captain Pandya, who hilariously intervened in the chat before joining his teammates amid the celebration.
"There was a relaxed atmosphere during Qualifier 1, we knew we were playing well this season. The plan was to take it deep and for the finishers to finish. I don't know about the party, when at the beginning of the season, someone asked me what were my goals, I told them there was no personal goals but it will be great if we could win. It was a new team, new environment and don't know about the party tonight but I won't be sleeping," said Tewatia.
Tewatia, who grabbed headlines for his heart-stopping sixes against Punjab Kings, said Pandya's message for him was to trust his game and keep finishing the way he does.
"After the auctions, there were saying our team had batsmen short, experienced batsmen short but the way the management backed David (Miller) and me was good. The captain trusts me and keeps telling me to trust your game and keep finishing like you do," Tewatia further said.
Titans, who finished atop the league-stage standings, became the first team to enter the play-offs and then storm into the final. They entered the cash-rich T20 tournament, which was expanded to 10 teams, alongside Lucknow Super Giants.
Pandya said coming generations will talk about his team's IPL triumph in its first-ever season. "This title is going to be a special one because we talked about creating a legacy," said Pandya, who has won five IPL titles including four with Mumbai Indians. "The coming generations will talk about it."
