IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs

Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals made it two wins on the trot on a doubleheader Super Saturday in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Gujarat rode on Shubman Gill's 84-run knock and Lockie Ferguson's exceptional pace bowling to stun tournament favourites Delhi Capitals in the 10th match of the IPL 2022 in Pune.

After Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and decided to put Gujarat Titans into bat, Mustafizur Rahman removed Matthew Wade. However, that did not deter Shubman Gill, who steered the GT innings.

Shubman Gill smashed 6 fours and four sixes in an enthralling inning. He looked good for a hundred but perished to Khaleel Ahmed for a 46-ball 84. Gill was on course for his maiden IPL hundred but the innings ended in heartbreak for the young batter, best for Delhi. On his way out, DC spinner Kuldeep Yadav patted Gill on the back for the special innings.

Vijay Shankar, batting at No.3, failed again but GT skipper Hardik Pandya played another cameo. His 27-ball 31 was instrumental in keeping GT on track for a competitive total. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia scored some quick runs down the order as Gujarat Titans finished on 171 for 6 off their 20 overs.

In the first match of the day, Jos Buttler smashed the first hundred of IPL 2022 to fashion a clinical victory for Rajasthan Royals over 5-time champions Mumbai Indians. His 68-ball 100 helped RR post 193 for 8. RR skipper Sanju Samson followed up his half-century in the first match with a quick 30 while



Shimron Hetmyer smashed a rapid 35.

In response, Mumbai Indians lost skipper Rohit Sharma early. Ishan Kishan and Tikal Verma scored enterprising fifties but MI were strangled by the spin duo of R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs. While Ashwin finished with 1 for 30 off his 4 overs, Chahal missed out on a hat-trick and finished the evening with 2 for 26.

Pacer Trent Boult leaked 20 runs in his last two overs but his first burst with the new ball was economical and helped add to the pressure on the Mumbai Indians. Boult returned figures of 1 for 29 off his 4 overs.

This was MI's second loss of the season. In fact, CSK and MI have both lost their opening two matches of IPL 2022.

Meanwhile, MI skipper Rohit Sharma said Rajasthan Royals batted well but added that he had backed his team to chase down 194.

"I thought they batted well to get to 193. Buttler played an exceptional inning. We tried everything we could to get him out. But I thought 193 on that pitch could've been chased, especially when we needed 70 in 7 overs. But these things can happen and it's early days," he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Rohit lauded Ishan Kishan and Tikal Verma for their knocks and said he was ready to give Suryakumar Yadav all the time he needs to recover from his finger injury.

"He is a key player for us. Once he gets fit, he comes in straight but we want him to recover since finger injuries are tricky."