Gujarat Titans won the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League when they beat Rajasthan Royals in the final on Sunday. The tournament witnessed breathtaking performances with both bat and ball in action-packed period of little over two months. The likes of Umran Malik and Mohsin Khan made immediate impact with the ball while Jos Buttler, KL Rahul and David Warner impressed with their consistency at top of the order.
The middle phase of the game saw consistent and useful contributions from Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, and David Miller and Dinesh Karthik were belligerent at death. The focus will now soon shift to the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup as all teams would look to get their combination right before the multi-team event gets underway in Australia later this year. Before action and focus shifts to the World Cup, we at Firstpost Sports have picked the players who left a lasting impression in the Indian Premier League.
Captain of Gujarat Titans Hardik Pandya . Sportzpics
Team of the tournament: Jos Buttler, David Warner, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Liam Livingstone, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Kagiso Rabada, Mohsin Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Wanindu Hasranga (12th man)
Left-right: Jos Buttler (863 runs) and David Warner (432 runs) were automatic selections at top of the order. While KL Rahul (616 runs) too was impressive for Lucknow Super Giants but Warner being a left-hander with the ability to explode at will gave him the edge over Rahul. LSG skipper looked in top touch in the competition but lot of questions were raised on his intent early in the innings. With Hardik expected to bat deep in this XI, having someone like Warner with Buttler at top only allows Hardik to do what he did well this year and be the crucial link between the top and lower order.
File image of Jos Buttler. Image: Sportzpics for IPL
The Hardik might: The mighty Hardik Pandya (487 runs) has been class apart this year with the bat. It wasn’t a role he played for his previous team Mumbai Indians but the right-hander has enjoyed the responsibility with Gujarat Titans. Unlike Mumbai, Hardik was expected to bat deep for Gujarat to allow the likes of David Miller and Rahul Tewatia to explode in the death overs. In this team too, Hardik will be expected to play a similar role with Liam Livingstone, David Miller and Dinesh Karthik to follow.
Firepower: Livingstone (437 runs), Karthik (284 runs) and Miller (481 runs) form a formidable finishing trio in this XI. The presence of a left-hander would only pose more problems for the opposition. In Livingstone and Karthik, we have two players who can innovate, differently, and not allow any bowler to settle down in the final overs of the innings. Both Miller and Karthik have had one of their finest seasons in the IPL so far and Livingstone has definitely arrived in style.
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Penetration with the new ball: Both Rabada (23 wickets) and Mohsin (5.97 economy) are different fast bowlers and have the ability to make early inroads with the ball. While Rabada can continue to push the batters back with his pace and precision, Mohsin can ask the tough questions with ability to move the ball at decent pace, from the right areas. Hardik Pandya too can chip in with a few overs with the ball and he is more than a handy customer with the new ball.
Umran Malik of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sportzpics
Spin!: Yuzvendra Chahal (27 wickets) is the lone specialist spinner in the XI and his ability to bowl him in all phases of the game makes him a one-man army. Presence of Liam Livingstone gives the skipper another option to exploit match-ups as the English all-rounder has the ability to bowl both leg-spin and off-spin with similar control and has the knack of picking crucial wickets.
Yuzvendra Chahal celebrates taking the wicket of Hardik Pandya in IPL 2022 final. Sportzpics
Death overs: Arshdeep Singh (7.58 economy in death overs) has been find of the season in the death overs as he has operated with utmost accuracy under immense pressure. He has his Punjab Kings teammate Rabada, LSG seamer Mohsin and skipper Hardik for company this time around. Together, they give any captain enough options to dictate terms in the crucial period of the game.
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