IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya hammers away as Gujarat Titans post 192-4

GT captain Hardik Pandya in full flow against RR at the DY Patil Stadium yesterday. Pic/BCCI; IPL

Captain Hardik Pandya played a combination of anchoring and finishing roles to slam an unbeaten 87 and pilot Gujarat Titans to a tall total of 192 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL tie at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday.

At the time of going to press, the Royals were 65-3 in six overs. In-from RR opener Jos Buttler smashed 24-ball 54 with the help of eight fours and three sixes. His fellow opener Devdutt Padikkal got out on duck off young medium pacer Yash Dayal.

Pacer Lockie Ferguson has claimed two wickets. Skipper Sanju Samson was playing on three.

Pandya first consolidated the innings after coming to the crease with the Titans on 15 for 2 and then batted right through, opening up towards the end in his usual fashion to strike four sixes and eight fours in his 52-ball knock.

Pandya first put on 38 runs in the rebuilding phase with Shubman Gill for the third wicket and then compiled 86 runs for the fourth wicket with Abhinav Manohar, who made a 28-ball 43 (2x6, 4x4).

After the dismissal of Manohar in the 16th over, Pandya donned the role of a finisher alongside the left-handed David Miller (14-ball 31 not out) as the fifth wicket pair took the Titans from 139 to 192 with an unbroken partnership of 53.

The last two overs of the innings cost the Royals 34 runs with Miller hitting a six and three fours off Kuldeep Sen in the 19th and then Pandya lashing a six and a four off Prasidh Krishna's last over.

Chahal had Manohar dismissed for his lone victim, giving away 32 runs, while Ashwin went wicketless, conceding 33 runs.

Royals clearly missed injured left-arm pacer Trent Boult, who was out with a niggle.