Debutants Gujarat Titans were crowned Indian Premier League (IPL) champions on Sunday in Ahmedabad, defeating Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets. Rajasthan, who chose to bat first, never got going and finished with a disappointing 130-9. Gujarat’s captain Hardik Pandya (3-17) has been incredible with the ball, removing Rajasthan’s middle-order lynchpin Shimron Hetmyer, Sanju Samson, and opener Jos Buttler.
Pandya was also impressive with the bat, hitting 34 runs and forming a 63-run partnership with Shubman Gill to help Gujarat recover from a sluggish start in their chase. Gujarat’s triumph was sealed with a six and 11 balls to spare as opener Gill stayed undefeated on 45.
On the night, RR’s standout batter of the tournament, Jos Buttler, who also provided the team’s highest score of the day with a 39-run innings, took home the Orange Cap with an aggregate of 863 runs, more than 250 runs ahead of second-placed KL Rahul (616).Yuzvendra Chahal of RR was awarded the purple cap for his 27 wickets this season.
Gujarat were the first team to qualify for the finals, while RR finished second in the group stage behind the table-toppers. Throughout the season, the slew of young players put up outstanding performances and stole the show. The IPL presented individual honours to some of the outstanding performers as GT won their first title on home soil.
Orange Cap– Jos Buttler
Purple cap– Yuzvendra Chahal
Most valuable player of the season– Jos Buttler
