IPL 2022 is hailed with ten teams, with Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants as newcomers. And both the new IPL franchises faced each other in their debut match. Match no. 4 was played on Monday and resulted in the first-ever IPL win of Gujarat Titans. The Indian Premier League has an aura of excitement that remains unmatchable in any other cricket league. The clash of newcomers keeps hold of what IPL is supposed to deliver.
Clash Of Newcomers (Gujarat Titans V/S Lucknow Super Giants)
The Gujarat team, led by Hardik Pandya, who is playing after recovering from an injury, defeated Lucknow Super Giants, captained by KL Rahul, by five wickets. And with that, Lucknow has entered the group of losing the first match along with Mumbai, Rajasthan, Bangalore, Deccan, Punjab, and Kochi.
Batting first, Lucknow put up 158 runs on board with six wickets down. In response, Gujarat achieved the target with two balls remaining. From 91/4 in 15 overs to the win, Gujarat scored 68 runs in the last five overs through an adrenaline-pumping cricket show. Rahul Tewatya (40*) and David Miller (30) put up a partnership of 60 runs in 34 balls. After Miller got out, Tewatia led Gujarat to win through a coalition of 23 runs in 13 balls with Abhinav Manohar.
The game was super fun as Mohammad Shami took three big wickets in three successive overs of his spell. And kind of the same happened when Gujarat came to bat, and Chamira took the wickets of Shubhman Gill and Vijay Shankar. Debutante Ayush scored his first fifty with the help of 4 fours and three sixes. Adding to the excitement of the match, it was the clash of the Pandya brothers as Krunal Pandya showed the way to the pavilion to his younger brother Hardik Pandya.
The fans were also excited for the match as Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hoods were playing for the same team. Both were engaged in a bit of fight last during a Ranji Trophy match. But the game spirit held firm, and both were seen hugging each other on the field. Lucknow Super Giants seemed to be full of all-rounders before the tournament, but it now looks like they lack a quality balling attack. Even though the team has young bowlers like Chamira and Avesh Khan, and Krunal and Deepak showed good hands at bowling, it felt like something was missing. The second big concern is the non-availability of players like Tie, Holder, Mayers, and Stoinis. Gujarat Titans look good in their first match. Watching how the teams will do in their next battles will be a treat.
Match Facts:
1. Man Of The Match – Mohammad Shami
2. Super Striker – Abhinav Manohar
3. KL Rahul got a golden duck after six years in the IPL.
4. David Miller reached the 2000 runs mark in the IPL.