IPL 2022 | Final | Clutch Hardik's all-round performance leads GT to title glory

Gujarat Titans have completed their fairytale season on a memorable note as the Hardik Pandya-led unit thumped Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the summit clash of the 15th season to claim the coveted IPL title.

In front of a packed ground at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium, the local boy Hardik Pandya dished out an all-round performance for the ages - 3/17 in four overs and 34 off 30 deliveries - to guide the Titans to glory in their maiden season.

A target of 131 should have been a walk in the park for the Titans, but it proved to be everything except that as Rajasthan's bowling attack came out, all guns blazing to keep the game on a knife edge for a major part of the run-chase.

Trent Boult, as usual, was superb in the powerplay, as was Prasidh Krishna, who knocked over an in-form Wriddhiman Saha with a peach of a nip-backer in the second over.

Boult backed it up with a maiden over, and while Matthew Wade did deposit Krishna for a six over mid-wicket in the next over, his stay was ended shortly by the New Zealand seamer as GT succumbed to 25/2 after 5.

It could have been a lot worse had Yuzvendra Chahal not dropped a simple chance that Shubman Gill offered at short-midwicket in the first over.

Gill rode his luck to the hilt on the night as he survived again off the bowling of Chahal in the 8th over. Hardik and Gill played the waiting game for a few overs against Chahal, who was bowling beautifully.

The duo attacked Krishna in his third over by smashing him for a boundary each in the ninth. This broke the shackles as Hardik went on to hit McCoy and Ashwin for two fours and a six in the next few overs before he succumbed to Chahal courtesy of a brilliant leg-break after compiling a crucial 30-ball 34.

The 63-run stand between Hardik and Gill (in just over 9 overs) tilted the game in Gujarat's favour, and while the former's dismissal offered RR hope, it proved to be a false dawn as Gill, and David Miller guided the home side to a sensational title-winning heist, with the former depositing McCoy in the stands in the 19th over to send 100,000 plus into a frenzy.

Hardik Pandya takes out RR's 'engine room' to leave them reeling at 130/9

Earlier, Gujarat Titans rode on sensational spells from their skipper Hardik Pandya (3/17 in 4 overs) and champion leg-spinner Rashid Khan (1/18 in 4 overs) to restrict Rajasthan to 130/9.

Batting first, Rajasthan never really got going as their batters struggled for timing and kept perishing regularly in their pursuit.

Yashasvi Jaiswal tried his best during his 16-ball 22 before he holed out in the deep off Yash Dayal. To compound Rajasthan's mystery, Jos Buttler (39 off 35) too struggled to get going, much as he did in the 1st Qualifier against the Titans.

With Buttler struggling, Sanju Samson tried to up the tempo, and it eventually led to his demise as he tried to pull a back-of-length delivery from Hardik, only to top edge to Sai Kishore at backward point.

Hardik was sensational with his line and length on the night of the final. He consistently bowled short of a length and the likes of Devdutt Padikkal (2 off 10) and Buttler struggled to get him away.

Buttler did smash a couple of fours off Shami in the 10th over to leapfrog David Warner's tally of 848 runs, but it proved to be a false dawn as RR went on to lose both batters within a space of a few deliveries.

Rashid, who was once again at his absolute best, ended Padikkal's misery before Buttler nicked behind a Hardik delivery, leaving RR tottering at 79/4.

Hardik returned to claim another big fish in the form of Shimron Hetmyer (caught & bowled) to only finish with brilliant figures of 3/17 but also end whatever chances RR had of getting to 150.

Rajasthan managed just 36 runs in the last five to crawl their way to 130/9.

Brief Scores:

Rajasthan Royals - 130/9 (20)

Jos Buttler 39 (35), Yashasvi Jaiswal 24 (16);

Hardik Pandya 3/17 (4), Rashid Khan 1/18 (4)

Gujarat Titans - 133/3 (18.1)

Shubman Gill 45* (43), Hardik Pandya 34 (30);

Trent Boult 1/14 (4), Yuzvendra Chahal 1/20 (4)

Gujarat Titans won by seven wickets.