With the former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) on one side and new aspirants Gujarat Titans (GT) on the other side of the podium, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is just a match away from having it's new winners.
RR and GT will be seen crossing swords in order to clinch the coveted title on Sunday (May 29).
The new entrants GT edged past IPL 2008's winner RR in Qualifier 1 to seal their spot in the final while Jos Buttler-studded Rajasthan romped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Qualifier 2 to cruise to the summit clash.
So far in the tournament, both the teams have faced each other twice and the results landed in Sanju Samson-led side as on both the occasions Rajasthan defeated Gujarat. In the head-to-head record, GT leads RR by a 2-0 margin.
GT vs RR Head-To-Head
Matches Played: 2
Gujarat Titans: 2
Rajasthan Royals: 0
No Results: 0
In the last match played between these two sides, GT beat RR by 7 wickets at the Eden Garden in Kolkata on 24 May. There aren’t any surprises for the finals either as the Top 2 sides would be fighting for the crowning jewel.
However, Hardik Pandya’s side Gujarat Titans has scripted a dream story in its debut season.
Openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill have done well as a pair and the onus would be on them to deliver a good start. The middle-order looks formidable with Hardik Pandya and Matthew Wade being among the runs in the last few games. The trio of David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan have been the side’s greatest strength as they have been winning games with electrifying knocks down the order. The side would like to see them be at their best in the most important game of the season.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson’s side has made a grand entry into the final of the tournament. Their 7-wicket win against the RCB was a convincing one.
In Qualifier 1, GT marched into the IPL 2022 finals with a 7-wicket win over the RR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. David Miller stepped up to the challenge and scored an unbeaten 68*(38) which powered GT to a successful chase and a place in the finals.
RR lost their previous match of IPL 2022, Qualifier 1, to GT. Batting first, RR posted a decent total of 188/6. Jos Buttler hit a fabulous knock of 89 runs while Samson scored 47. Gujarat’s Hardik Pandya and David Miller scored unbeaten 40 and 68 respectively and grabbed the victory for GT by 7 wickets.
In the group stage, GT defeated RR by 37 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in the 24th match. Pandya excelled in all three departments as the GT skipper steered the team to the top of the table with a 37-run victory. Pandya remained unbeaten on 87 as GT posted 192-4 in the first innings.
