Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya stood up for his team when it mattered the most as he took three wickets with the ball to help restrict Rajasthan Royals to 130/9. In the end, Gujarat Titans registered a comfortable win to win the IPL title in their debut season. Heading into IPL 2022, there were question marks on Hardik's bowling, but he reserved his best for the final as he went on to take three wickets, including the prized scalp of Jos Buttler.
Speaking during a press conference after the IPL triumph, Hardik said that his goal remains to win the World Cup for India, and he is going to give it his all, no matter what.
"Absolutely to win the World Cup for India, no matter what happens. Going to give it everything I have, I have always been that kind of guy who always puts the team first. So, for me, the goal will be simple, to make sure that my team gets it most. Playing for India is always been kind of dream come true, no matter how many times or games I have played. It has always been a pleasure for me to represent the country, the kind of love and support I have got is purely from the Indian point of view. Long term or short term, one goal is there, I want to win the World Cup, no matter what happens," said Hardik during a virtual press conference held after the IPL final.
In the IPL 2022 season, Gujarat skipper Hardik registered 487 runs with the bat and he also took eight wickets with the ball in hand, out of which three came in the final against Rajasthan Royals.
Talking about the final between GT and RR, the latter batted first and posted 130/9 in 20 overs. Jos Buttler top-scored with a knock of 39 while for Gujarat, skipper Hardik returned with the figures of 3-17.
Chasing 131, Shubman Gill and David Miller remained unbeaten on 45 and 34 respectively to take Gujarat over the line by seven wickets and 11 balls to spare. For Rajasthan, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna and Yuzvendra Chahal returned with one wicket each.
Earlier in the tournament, Gujarat had topped the league stage with 20 points from 14 games and they entered the final after outclassing Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1.