IPL 2022 | All-round Hardik guides GT to a commanding 37-run win over RR

Captain Hardik Pandya's all-round performance and brilliant contributions from Abhinav Manohar, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal and co have helped Gujarat Titans beat table-toppers Rajasthan Royals by a comfortable margin of 37 runs in the match number twenty-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Chasing 193, Rajasthan survived a scare on the first delivery of their innings when Mohammed Shami seemed to have strangled Jos Buttler down the leg-side. Gujarat reviewed the on-field call, but the ball had just brushed his pad to Rajasthan and Buttler's relief.

Butter responded by smashing Shami for three boundaries and Yash Dayal for a couple of fours and a six in the next two overs to give his side another flying start.

Dayal, however, broke the partnership in the first over of his IPL career as Devdutt Padikkal, in an attempt to waft at a short, wide delivery, proceeded to give a catch to Shubman Gill at first slip.

The wicket did not affect Buttler, who took complete toll on the left-arm Dayal, smashing him for three fours and a six in the 4th over to race his way to a 20-ball 48.

Rajasthan promoted Ashwin to the No.3 spot, but the move didn't pay dividends as the right-arm spin-bowling all-rounder holed out at short-cover to David Miller off the bowling of Ferguson.

Ferguson then landed a body blow to the Royals as he knocked over Buttler, who had smashed him for a six on the previous delivery to race his way to another 50 with a leg-cutter.

With the score reading 3/65 after the powerplay, Rajasthan needed their skipper Sanju to spearhead the fledgeling ship. However, he smashed a nonchalant six off Rahul Tewatia to make his intentions clear.

However, his innings (11 off 11 deliveries) were cut short by Hardik Pandya, who hit bulls-eye at the bowler's end to effect a brilliant run-out.

Rassie van der Dussen struggled during his 10-ball stay at the crease, and with the asking rate moving upwards of 12, he eventually perished to Dayal in an attempt to drive the left-arm seamer. However, he only managed to get a thick outside edge off his bat, and keeper Wade did the rest.

Hetmyer was again at his sensational best as he hammered a couple of fours and a six during his 17-ball 28. But his innings was cut short by Mohammed Shami after he toe-ended an attempted hoike straight to long-on.

Riyan Parag (18 off 16 deliveries) and James Neesham (17 off 15 deliveries) tried their best, but the final flourish never came as Gujarat eventually triumphed home by 37 runs.

Batting first, opener Matthew Wade came out all guns blazing as he hammered James Neesham for three fours in the first over. However, once again, he failed to convert his start courtesy of a horrible miscommunication between him and Gill, eventually leading to a run-out in the second over.

Vijay Shankar once again failed to make an impression in his comeback game as he managed to score a meagre two runs off seven deliveries before nicking the ball off to Sanju Samson faring against Kuldeep Sen.

Skipper Hardik Pandya smoked three fours off Sen in his next over, helping Gujarat post 42 in the powerplay.

Samson introduced Riyan Parag into the attack after the powerplay, and while Gill and Hardik smashed a six and a four off him, Parag had the last laugh as he dismissed the former, who needlessly holed out at long-on.

At 3-53 in the 7th over, it looked like Rajasthan were tightening the screws on Gujarat, but Hardik and Abhinav Manohar had different ideas.

Hardik and Manohar hammered 86 runs for the 4th wicket in just under nine overs, with the former taking the stack on Sen and Ashwin in the middle overs.

Manohar (43 off 28 deliveries) once again impressed with his fearless strokeplay, smashing four 4s and a couple of sixes before getting dismissed by Chahal. 

Hardik (87* off 52 deliveries) racked up his second consecutive half-century and, along with David Miller (31 off 14 deliveries), provided the final finishing touches to the innings.

Gujarat added 62 runs in the last five overs to finish with 192 runs on the board in the designated twenty overs.

Brief Scores:

Gujarat Titans 192/4 (20)

Hardik Pandya 87*(52)

Abhinav Manohar 43 (28)

David Miller 31* (14)

Yuzvendra Chahal 1/32 (4)

Rajasthan Royals 155/9 (20)

Jos Buttler 54 (24)

Shimron Hetmyer 29 (17)

Lockie Ferguson 3/23 (4)

Yash Dayal 3/40 (4)