“Maja avi gai Hardik Bhai” – Hardik Pandya’s captaincy propels Gujarat Titans to their second consecutive victory


“Maja avi gai Hardik Bhai” – Hardik Pandya’s captaincy propels Gujarat Titans to their second consecutive victory

Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans have begun play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Hardik Pandya’s men won their second game in a row, defeating Delhi Capitals by 14 runs. For the most part, the game was evenly balanced, but Lockie Ferguson’s fiery spell proved decisive. His four-run homer shook DC’s batting order and sealed the Gujarat Titans’ victory. In addition to him, Shubman Gill hit an 84-run home run.

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Earlier in the game, the Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bowl at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, having defeated the Mumbai Indians in their first match. Mustafizur Rahman made an immediate impact in his first game of the season, dismissing Matthew Wade in the first over. Shubman Gill, the other Gujarat Titans opener, was at his best early on, playing some delightful shots.

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Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill set a new T20 record with his highest score.

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While Vijay Shankar was unable to contribute significantly, Gill found a valuable partner in skipper Hardik Pandya. The Titans’ ship was steadied by the duo, who also played some delightful shots. While Hardik was bowled out for 31 by Khaleel Ahmed, Gill scored his first fifty of the season. After reaching the milestone, he changed gears and recorded his highest T20 score of 84.

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The Gujarat Titans posted 171/6 in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to some useful shots from David Miller and Rahul Tewatia near the end. In response, the Capitals lost Tim Seifert in the second over. Prithvi Shaw and Mandeep Singh both played some good shots but were out for 10 and 18 runs, respectively. The onus was then placed on skipper Rishabh Pant to keep the ship afloat.

The southpaw teamed up with Lalit Yadav, and the pair put on 61 runs for the fourth wicket. Lalit was run-out during a misunderstanding while running between the wickets, just as the game appeared to be in hand. Pant, on the other hand, appeared to be a man on a mission, as his appealing shots kept the required run-rate under control.

He was eventually defeated by Lockie Ferguson, who took a four-fer in the game. While Rovman Powell scored 20 runs, DC’s lower order made no contributions at all. The Capitals were eventually limited to 157/9, losing by 14 runs.

Meanwhile, here’s how Twitter reacted to the Gujarat Titans’ victory:

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