He was not a regular bowler at all this season. Hardik Pandya chose to bring back his bowling ‘entity’ in the final. Coming as the fifth bowler, he took 3 wickets for 16 runs in 4 overs. In the final of the 15th IPL in Ahmedabad, Pandya and his Gujarat Titans won the toss and elected to bat. Rajasthan could not score more than 130 runs for 9 wickets in 20 overs.
Rajasthan’s biggest inspiration now could be the 2018 final. Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Super Giants by 1 run with 129 runs, the record for the lowest run-scoring victory in the IPL final.
After losing the toss and opting to field, the Gujarat fast bowlers helped the wicket. Mohammad Shami and Yash Dayal’s tight bowling helped Rajasthan reach just one boundary in the first two overs of the innings. Yashsvi Jaiswal wanted to open his hand, but in the fourth over, Yash Dayal was caught in the mid-wicket by hitting one after another with six off 22 balls.
Rajasthan has been playing Rashid Khan in the previous two matches of the tournament. Hardik Pandya brought him in the last over of Powerplay today. Sanju Samson got four fours in Misfield from Rashid’s first ball, but they did not attack the Afghan leg-spinner. Butler hit two fours in a row to Lucky Ferguson in the seventh over after scoring 44 runs in 6 overs of Powerplay, but Rajasthan were then bowled out.
There are only two boundaries from 8th to 14th. Pandya returned Sanju Samson at this time. Rashid then ‘released’ the angel Padikkal. Padikkal made only 2 runs off 10 balls.
Rajasthan got the biggest hit in the first ball of the 13th over. Pandya, the ‘hero’ of Gujarat, this time his victim is Jos Butler. Butler made 25 off the first 25 balls and had a slow start in the first qualifier against Gujarat. Butler made 69 off 57 balls that day, but returned today with 39 off 35 balls.
Over is coming to an end, with the loss of wickets – Rajasthan then under double pressure. Shimron Hetmeyer tried to beat Pandya a couple of times, but it didn’t take long for Pandya to take revenge. The Gujarat captain, who has taken 3 wickets for 16 runs in 4 overs, has not taken more than one wicket in any match before this season. He and Rashid together took 4 wickets for 35 runs in 6 overs.
Gujarat managed to keep regular left-arm spinner Ravi Srinivasan Sai Kishore in the 16th over with Pandya’s superb bowling. By then, Rajasthan’s left-arm batsmen have also returned. Despite taking 20 runs in 2 overs, Sai took 2 wickets for his ‘heroes’ Ravichandran Ashwin and Trent Bolt. Ryan Pollen was bowled 15 off 15 balls by Shamir. Obed McCoy, who scored 6 off 5 balls, was run out.
