The stage is set for the extravagant grand finale of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 where former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) and debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) will cross swords with each other for the ultimate title on Sunday (May 29).
Both the teams have toiled hard to make their way to the summit clash and are one step away from tasting the glory.
First, the new entrants GT edged past IPL 2008's winner RR in Qualifier 1 to seal their spot in the final then Jos Buttler-studded Rajasthan romped Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Qualifier 2 to cruise to the summit clash.
However, RR will be in a mix of emotion, who will look to replicate their IPL 2008's triumph and give a perfect tribute to the late Shane Warne, who was the then captain of the franchise.
RR's success in 2008 was nothing short of an underdog story. A team full of young guns, led by an experienced warhorse in the form of Warne. The Australian leg-spinner, who passed away on March 4 due to suspected heart attack, toiled hard to lead the young colts to an emphatic win in the IPL’s inaugural season.
In 2008, it was Warne, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Sohail Tanvir, Munaf Patel, Kamran Akmal, Graeme Smith and the uncapped players like of Swapnil Asnodkar, Siddharth Trivedi, who played starring roles in the title triumph.
Shane Warne and Co. played out of their skins and edged past some strong and heavyweight teams in the league stage to eventually reached the last four. The Jaipur-based franchise finished 1st after the group stage and then brushed aside Delhi Daredevils (now known as Delhi Capitals) in the first semi-final to reach the coveted league’s final encounter -- where they met Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on June 1.
Bowling first, Rajasthan Royals managed to restrict MS Dhoni’s CSK to a modest 163 and picked up 5 wickets in the process. Spin bowling-all-rounder Yusuf Pathan spun a web and bowled accurately to trap the CSK batters. He picked up 3 wickets and made sure the CSK batsmen found it difficult to play freely against him. Suresh Raina, who is now labelled as Mr. IPL, top-scored with a fantastic 43(30) and spearheaded CSK's first innings total.
The legendary skipper and finisher Dhoni, however, couldn't be kept quiet as he blasted his way to a power-packed 29* off 17 deliveries. The knock essentially helped the Yellow Army to reach a challenging total. All-in-all in light of a final, the run-chase was surely on.
The Royals were dealt with an early blow when their opener Niraj Patel had to head back into the pavilion in the 3rd over itself. Things were going steady for the Royals but Albie Morkel’s over, after the powerplay, derailed their run-chase with two quick wickets. However, Yusuf Pathan once again stole the limelight and scored a fabulous knock of 56 (39) to pave the foundation of RR’s inspiring victory.
The final over was a nail-biter with 8 runs required off it. Lakshmipati Balaji tried his best to defend but Sohail Tanvir and Shane Warne ensured a thrilling win for the underdogs. Yusuf Pathan was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his heroic contribution in the final as RR went on to achieve the unthinkable! A sheer reflection of Warne’s brilliant and astute captaincy!
After 14 long years, Royals will hope to add a second title to their kitty under the leadership of Sanju Samson, who will rely on the likes of Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, R Ashwin among others to take the side past GT in the finals.
