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'You don't win IPL at the auction': Sanjay Manjrekar on Gujarat Titans triumph
The final against Rajasthan Royals was an one-sided affair with Hardik Pandya's men comfortably beating the opponent by seven wickets.
The clinical display by Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans left most stunned as the debutants went to win the Indian Premier League after defeating Rajasthan Royals in the finals. Opening their campaign against another newcomer Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) with an exciting five-wicket win, the team kept building the momentum and maintained their supremacy throughout the tournament. (IPL 2022 full coverage)
The team, which finished as the table toppers after the league stages, registered 12 wins from 16 matches. The final against Rajasthan too was an one-sided affair with Pandya's men comfortably beating the opponent by seven wickets.
If we look at their campaign, it was contribution from almost every individual in both the departments of the game. Captain Pandya along with young talent Shubman Gill and David Miller were the backbone in the batting front, while Mohammed Shami and star spinner Rashid Khan held fort with the ball.
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Assessing the show that Gujarat put on, Manjrekar, like most of us, was stunned to see such an outcome from an outfit that lacked the star power. In fact, he felt the biggest lesson one could draw from it was that a tournament such as IPL cannot be won at the auction.
"Not many people thought they've done well with the selection of players. The player, the captain and they got their formula right and they go to win it.
"I think the lesson from this IPL is that you don't win an IPL title at the auction. Mumbai Indians for a while proved that to be the right way to go, but Gujarat Titans, just the players they gambled on and how big they have paid back with the gamble, that's been the story of Gujarat Titans.
“Hardik Pandya big gamble, David Miller massive gamble and what return from these guys,” noted Manjrekar during a discussion on ESPNCricinfo.
