The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end on Sunday with Gujarat Titans winning the lucrative T20 competition in their maiden season. The Hardik Pandya-led unit proved to be one of the best outfits right through the season, something that most didn't expect after the auction. (IPL 2022 full coverage)
However, the team clicked straightaway from the word go and finished the league stage at top of the ten-team points table. In the play-offs, Gujarat maintained a similar tempo and despite having two chances of advancing into the finals, they avoided any hiccups and booked a spot in the final. Then they won the competition on a resounding note by defeating Rajasthan Royals in the finale.
Despite the scintillating show, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen named just three players from the Gujarat franchise in his IPL 2022 XI for Betway, which comprises players from all the franchise.
Rashid Khan, who shares the reputation of being a world class spinner and was a key member of the Gujarat unit, however, didn't find his name in Pietersen's team of the year. His picks from the IPL winning franchise included captain Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia and David Miller.
{{/usCountry}}Rashid Khan, who shares the reputation of being a world class spinner and was a key member of the Gujarat unit, however, didn't find his name in Pietersen's team of the year. His picks from the IPL winning franchise included captain Hardik Pandya, Rahul Tewatia and David Miller.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from the trio, rising pace sensation Umran Malik also found his name in Pietersen's XI. The 22-year-old had a breakthrough season as he decimated world class batters with his soaring pace and was also rewarded with a India call-up for the T20I series against South Africa, starting from June 9.
His team didn't feature the likes of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, or Rohit Sharma. In fact, Dinesh Karthik, who had a splendid season, also didn't make the cut in his team of the year.
Kevin Pitersen's IPL team of the year: Jos Buttler, Quinton de Kock (wk), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Ravi Ashwin, Rahul Tewatia, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Josh Hazlewood