Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of the IPL 2022 final between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans from the Narendra Modi International Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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RAJASTHAN ROYALS TOSS HISTORY IN IPL 2022 TOSSES WON: 3/16 TOSSES LOST: 13/16 MATCHES WON AFTER WINNING TOSS: 2/3 MATCHES WON AFTER LOSING TOSS: 8/13 RR VS RCB – RR WON THE TOSS – RR CHOSE TO BAT – RR WON BY SEVEN WICKETS RR VS GT – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR LOST BY SEVEN WICKETS RR VS SRH – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY 61 RUNS RR VS MI – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY 23 RUNS RR VS RCB – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR LOST BY FOUR WICKETS RR VS LSG – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY THREE RUNS RR VS GT – RR WON THE TOSS – RR CHOSE TO FIELD – RR LOST BY 37 RUNS RR VS KKR- RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY SEVEN RUNS RR VS DC – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY 15 RUNS RR VS RCB – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR WON BY 29 RUNS RR VS MI – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR LOST BY FIVE WICKETS RR VS KKR – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR LOST BY SEVEN WICKETS RR VS PBKS – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO FIELD – RR WON BY SIX WICKETS RR VS DC – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO BAT – RR LOST BY EIGHT WICKETS RR VS LSG- RR WON THE TOSS – RR CHOSE TO BAT – RR WON BY 24 RUNS RR VS CSK – RR LOST THE TOSS – RR FORCED TO FIELD – RR WON BY FIVE WICKETS |
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GUJARAT TITANS TOSS HISTORY IN IPL 2022 TOSSES WON: 10/15 TOSSES LOST: 5/15 MATCHES WON AFTER WINNING TOSS: 7/10 MATCHES WON AFTER LOSING TOSS: 4/5 GT VS RR – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT WON BY SEVEN WICKETS GT VS LSG – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT WON BY FIVE WICKETS GT VS DC – GT LOST THE TOSS – GT FORCED TO BAT – GT WON BY 14 RUNS GT VS PBKS – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT WON BY SIX WICKETS GT VS SRH – GT LOST THE TOSS – GT FORCED TO BAT – GT LOST BY EIGHT WICKETS GT VS RR – GT LOST THE TOSS – GT FORCED TO BAT – GT WON BY 37 RUNS GT VS CSK – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT WON BY THREE WICKETS GT VS KKR – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO BAT – GT WON BY EIGHT RUNS GT VS SRH – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT WON BY FIVE WICKETS GT VS RCB – GT LOST THE TOSS – GT FORCED TO FIELD – GT WON BY SIX WICKETS GT VS PBKS – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO BAT – GT LOST BY EIGHT WICKETS GT VS MI – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO FIELD – GT LOST BY FIVE RUNS GT VS LSG – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO BAT – GT WON BY 62 RUNS GT VS CSK – GT LOST THE TOSS – GT FORCED TO FIELD – GT WON BY SEVEN WICKETS GT VS RCB – GT WON THE TOSS – GT CHOSE TO BAT – GT LOST BY EIGHT WICKETS |
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GUJARAT TITANS – ROAD TO THE FINAL PLAYOFFS Qualifier 1: Beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets LEAGUE STAGE Beat Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets Beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs Beat Punjab Kings by six wickets Lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets Beat Rajasthan Royals by 37 runs Beat Chennai Super Kings by three wickets Beat Kolkata Knight Riders by eight runs Beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets Beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets Lost to Punjab Kings by eight wickets Lost to Mumbai Indians by five runs Beat Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs Beat Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets Lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets |
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RAJASTHAN ROYALS – ROAD TO THE FINAL PLAYOFFS Qualifier 1: Lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets Qualifier 2: Beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets LEAGUE STAGE Beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 61 runs Beat Mumbai Indians by 23 runs Lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets Beat Lucknow Super Giants by three runs Lost to Gujarat Titans by 37 runs Beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven runs Beat Delhi Capitals by 15 runs Beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 29 runs Lost to Mumbai Indians by five wickets Lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets Beat Punjab Kings by six wickets Lost to Delhi Capitals by eight wickets Beat Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs Beat Chennai Super Kings by five wickets |
MATCH PREVIEW
What did Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals get right in this edition of the Indian Premier League? Quite a few things.
For new entrant Titans, it was a challenge to start from scratch. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the team could identify its potential key players and plan accordingly.
Even though quite a few other franchises splurged on big names in the mega-auction in February, Titans’ approach was unique – it went for David Miller, who many thought had past his prime; Rahul Tewatia, who looked rather pale after his six-hitting spree in Sharjah, two summers ago; and India discard Wriddhiman Saha.
The choices were baffling back then. But with its core revolving around Hardik, Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan, the Titans think-tank knew that it was taking a calculated risk by putting its money on the old warhorses. And after two months of cricket, it is evident that the strategy paid off; not only have Miller, Saha and Tewatia delivered, they have also guided the team to its first-ever IPL final, to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, against the Royals.
Long wait
After 2008, it has been a long wait for the Royals to reach another final. The ‘Men in Pink’ aim to rewrite history and pay a fitting tribute to their ‘first Royal’ Shane Warne, who passed away in March. Returning to the fold in 2018 after a two-year suspension, the Royals relied heavily on the superstars from England and Australia who would essentially form their core.
ALSO READ – Jos Buttler – repaying the Royals’ faith
While Steve Smiths, Ben Stokes and others earned big money, the Royals struggled in the points table, forcing the management to get over its obsession to pick players from England and Australia and to look at building a solid core of Indian players. Royals eventually got lucky at the auction as it could rope in the top two Indian spinners – R. Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.
A close-knit group
The inclusion of Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna bolstered Royals’ pace department. And among batters, it could rope in Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer while already retaining Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler. The biggest challenge was to make things work and under the guidance of head coach Kumar Sangakkara, the Royals have looked like a closely knit unit.
ALSO READ – The resurgence of ‘Killer Miller’
Those ‘little suggestions’ by Sangakkara helped the team and how! Coming after months of almost no training, Buttler let the willow do the talking and went on to don the Orange Cap, emerging as a match-winner. Chahal and Ashwin had their off days, but when they found their mojo, they made sure that they put the opponents on the mat. And the lively Hetmyer changed things in the middle-order.
So, all in all, the Royals could come out of their ‘top-heavy’ shadow and rebuild. The way Buttler returned to form after a series of disappointments or the way Prasidh bounced back with three wickets in the second qualifier against Royal Challengers Bangalore despite being taken to the cleaners by Miller in the previous game only explains the philosophy of the camp – accept the result and move on.
Prasidh v Miller, Buttler v Rashid
However, the final will be a different ball game. With a packed stadium and plenty of fireworks – both on and off the field – expected, the teams will need to hold their nerves and ensure that they don’t choke under pressure.
It will be interesting to see how Prasidh executes the plans against a rampaging Miller and how Ashwin and Chahal come up with a plan for Hardik. And, of course, all eyes will be on how Buttler handles Rashid.
With the city witnessing an IPL final for the first time and a team from Gujarat featuring in the final, the expectations have already sky-rocketed. Prior to the final, there will be a glitzy closing ceremony, attended by Bollywood superstars. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to attend the final. There will be a special show marking the journey of Indian cricket over the last 75 years.
Amid all the glitz and glamour, two young captains will be taking the field with determination and hope. Over the last two months, both Sanju and Hardik battled all odds, ducked all criticisms to bring their respective teams so far.
It doesn’t matter who wins or loses in the end, but remember the efforts by the Royals. Remember the Titans!
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH RR VS GT IPL 2022 FINAL LIVE?
| The IPL 2022 final between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans will be aired LIVE on the Star Sports Network at 8:00 PM IST. The match will also be live streamed on Disney+Hotstar. |