GT vs RR, IPL 2022 Final Preview: Hardik Pandya’s zeal takes on Sanju Samson’s grit as history awaits new chapters – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Debutants Gujarat Titans have already made a mark after they made it to the final of the IPL 2022. The Titans ended the league stage at the helm and then defeated Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 to march ahead.

On the other side, it is a special occasion for the Royals as well. Rajasthan have made it to their second IPL final. The first was the inaugural edition where they clinched the title.

The Sanju Samson-led side, after finishing second in the points table suffered a hiccup when they lost to Gujarat in the first qualifier but soon got back on track and defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2.

The stage is all set for the title clash as Gujarat Titans take on Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Based on the form of some of the players, a high-voltage contest is on the cards.

Star Watch: Jos Buttler

Rajasthan Royals batter Jos Buttler is in some form this IPL. The right-hander has been re-writing the history books and has played a key role in the Royals’ successful run so far. Buttler has already notched four tons and became the second batter, after Virat Kohli, to achieve the feat. Kohli struck four centuries during the 2016 edition.

Moreover, Buttler has scored over 800 runs in 16 matches so far in this season and another instance of his brilliance was unleashed during the second qualifier against RCB. He single-handedly took the game away from RCB after scoring a hundred.

Buttler’s intent right from the word go and his knack of scoring runs consistently has done wonders for him as well for RR in IPL  and he would surely be someone to watch out for.

David Miller

The Gujarat Titans seemed to have a clear role for David Miller right from the beginning and that was to provide the stability and balance to the middle-order. In 15 matches this season, he has scored 449 runs at a healthy average of 64.14.

The South African’s ability to chip in with quick runs is another added advantage that has been extracted well by the Gujarat Titans.

Against Royals, Miller first steadied the ship alongside Hardik Pandya and then showed nerves of steel as GT needed 16 runs in the final over. He hit Prasidh Krishna for three consecutive maximums on the first three balls to wrap up the game.

While he can be lethal with the bat, Miller has the ability to provide the resistance as and when required in the middle order.

Uncapped Watch: Yash Dayal

Gujarat Titans left-arm bowler Yash Dayal has returned with expensive figures on some occasions for GT but has picked up wickets quite consistently. The track in Ahmedabad might give some assistance to Dayal.

In the last match, Prasidh Krishna and Obed McCoy had troubled the RCB batters thoroughly and didn’t let them cut loose. If Dayal is able to capitalise on the conditions then he might be among wickets in this clash.

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Rajasthan Royals’s young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has the ability to provide Rajasthan Royals with a quick start. He certainly has all the strokes in his armour.

Jaiswal showed great character in an important fixture against RCB in second qualifier where he held fort from one end and didn’t let the RCB bowlers dominate. While he can steady the ship, Jaiswal doesn’t shy away from hammering the deliveries away for boundaries and taking advantage in the powerplay overs. His combination with Buttler is a brutal one.

Exciting match-up: Pacers vs Batters

The two pacers in Rajasthan Royals unit, Krishna and McCoy thoroughly dominated RCB. While Prasidh showed that the ball can trouble the batters if pitched in good areas, McCoy deceived them with pace.

Both teams have some lethal customers who can be very dangerous on their day. Krishna, McCoy had a good time at this very venue in the last fixture while Trent Boult has the ability to move the ball in the early stage of the game.

On the other side, Mohammed Shami can generate express pace and the only thing he needs to take care of is the line he bowls. Anything on or around the off stump channel can prove very dangerous for the batters.

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