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Indian Premier League 2022 champions Gujarat Titans had a stellar campaign that culminated in skipper Hardik Pandya laying his hands on the silverware in their debut season itself. Despite not being given much of a chance after the auction by fans and cricketing pundits, the Titans exceeded all expectations to emerge as champions.
The Titans' journey began with the drafting-in of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, ace spinner Rashid Khan and young sensation Shubman Gill. Their support system - the coaching staff - had big names as well, including the likes of Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten.
The Titans had a reasonably decent auction but were criticized for not having enough quality batters. However, with the all-rounders stepping up and proving to be game-changers with the bat in hand, the Titans not only made maximum use of the resources at their disposal but also silenced their critics.
Hardik Pandya's captaincy was commendable throughout the tournament. Leading the side certainly brought the best out of him. With a good combination of experience and youth, the Titans believed in their capabilities to emerge victorious. In retrospect, the Titans' auction strategy seems to be well-thought-out rather than a scattergun one. Here is a look at four players whose signings went a long way in the Titans being crowned the champions of IPL 2022.
4. Rahul Tewatia
Many eyebrows were raised when the Titans splurged ₹9 crore to acquire the services of Rahul Tewatia. However, the southpaw was worth his weight in gold, finishing games for the Gujarat-based franchise right from their first game against the Lucknow Super Giants. Tewatia won GT games from near-impossible situations and his twin sixes to finish the game against Punjab Kings will go down as one of the best moments in IPL history.
Tewatia scored 217 runs in 12 innings at a strike-rate of a touch over 147. Although a tad inconsistent, Tewatia ensured that run-scoring did not taper-off later in the innings. As Miller found his groove towards the end of the season, Tewatia's role became much easier and did not have to bat in the playoffs. Nonetheless, Tewatia's contributions in the league stage of the tournament did not go unnoticed.
3. Yash Dayal
Before IPL 2022, Yash Dayal was pretty much an unknown commodity. However, the left-arm quick has become a household name after the Titans' win. Dayal is one of many young pacers who have been impressive this season.
In nine games, Dayal picked up 11 wickets with an economy of 9.25. The pacer stepped up when it mattered the most, returning with figures of 1-18 from three overs in the final, which included the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was just starting to switch gears. Dayal complemented the other bowlers well and has left a mark on the tournament in his debut season itself.
2. Mohammed Shami
After an intense bidding war with KKR, LSG and RCB, the Gujarat Titans snapped up veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. The inclusion of the 31-year-old will go down as one of the best purchases in the auction for the Titans, with Shami snaring 20 wickets from sixteen encounters.
Bowling at an economy of just 8 rpo, Shami wreaked havoc and got the new cherry to nip around in the powerplay. The pacer was often given three overs upfront, which forced the opposition on to the back foot in the first six overs. Shami had a terrific run in IPL 2022 and will be hoping to replicate his IPL performances for the national side.
1.David Miller
David Miller was one of the most important cogs in the Titans' wheel. The South African consistently delivered whenever the side needed him to. Being part of an untested and what could turn out to be a brittle middle-order, Miller played with utmost calm and composure, giving the Titans' innings the finish it needed.
His unbeaten innings of 94 runs against the Super Kings guided the Titans to an unlikely victory in a game where most had written GT off. The experienced Proteas batter finished as the sixth highest run-getter of the tournament with 481 runs under his belt - remaining not out on as many as nine occasions.
Miller had a strike-rate of 142.72. At ₹3 crores, the batter was an absolute steal in the auction and will look to continue contributing in the seasons to come.
