In front of 100,000 roaring fans in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya turned the 2022 IPL Final into his own action flick—starring with ball and bat to crown a fairy-tale debut season
The air inside the Narendra Modi Stadium was thick with anticipation. Over a lakh of people had poured in for a final that promised fireworks. On paper, the Rajasthan Royals, led by the elegant Sanju Samson and powered by Jos Buttler’s golden season, had the upper hand against the Gujarat Titans playing their debut season. After all, Buttler had racked up 863 runs that season and turned the Orange Cap into his own personal crown.
But as the toss went Rajasthan’s way and they chose to bat, something in the air felt different, tense, yet electric. The crowd hadn’t just turned up for a game. They were about to witness a statement. And the man holding the pen? Hardik Pandya.
Credit: ESPN
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler walked in with intent but not with impact. Jaiswal’s 22 off 16 was cut short by Yash Dayal, who struck in the fourth over. Buttler, the tournament’s run machine, was treading water at 10 off 14 during the powerplay. The Royals crawled to 44/1 after six overs—a sluggish start for a side built around top-order acceleration.
Then came the cracks.
Sanju Samson struck two boundaries to lift the rate but was undone by Pandya’s hard length, going for 14. Padikkal couldn’t lay bat on ball against Hardik either—seven balls, zero runs off the bat—and he holed out when he tried to break free against Rashid Khan.
In no time, RR found themselves at 79/4. Then Hardik came for the main course—Buttler. The tournament’s talisman edged to the keeper for 39 off 35. It wasn’t just a wicket; it was the wicket.
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Pandya’s spell wasn’t hostile; it was surgical. 4 overs, 17 runs, 3 wickets. Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Shimron Hetmyer—all marquee names—fell to his grip on the moment. The Royals’ batting crumbled like loose stitching. From 84/4 in the 14th over to 130/9 in 20, the innings never quite took off.
With the ball, Pandya had drawn first blood. Now, it was time to finish the job.
Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade fell early. At 23 for 2, some nervous glances were exchanged. But Pandya walked in and batted like a man who had it all figured out. No fireworks, no fancy shots—just hard running and picking the gaps. His 34 off 30 with 3 fours and 1 six stabilised the ship, as he added 63 for the third wicket with Shubman Gill.
Chahal managed to send Pandya back at 86 for 3, but it was too late. With his 32 off 19, David Miller played the finisher, while Gill remained unbeaten on 45. Gujarat chased down 131 in 18.1 overs—with 11 balls to spare.
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Hardik Pandya wasn’t just named Player of the Match; he etched himself into IPL folklore. With three wickets and a captain’s knock, he clinched a title in the debut season of the Gujarat Titans. In a final that had all the makings of a blockbuster, Hardik’s all-round heroics ensured the Royals were reduced to extras in their own script.
The IPL Final of 2022 wasn’t about nerves or pressure; it was about Kungfu Pandya—kicking in the doors of doubt and walking out with the trophy.
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