IPL 2022: Hardik leads Gujarat Titans to 192/4 against Rajasthan Royals

Mumbai: Skipper Hardik Pandya impressed with another responsible knock to take Gujarat Titans to 192 for four against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.

Hardik (87 not out off 52) first found an able ally in Abhinav Manohar (43 off 28) before he exploded in the company of David Miller (31 not out off 14) to power the IPL debutants to their highest score of the tournament.

Hardik and Manohar shared an 86-run stand for the fourth wicket before the skipper and Miller blasted 53 off 25 balls to end the innings in style.

After put in to bat, Gujarat found themselves reeling at 53/3. While Hardik’s 52-ball knock was studded with eight fours and four sixes, Manohar struck four fours and two maximums. Miller, who overall hit five boundaries and a six, fetched 21 runs in the penultimate over off Kuldeep Sen (1/51).

To start with, Hardik was aggressive on pacer Kuldeep as he hammered him for three successive boundaries in the fifth over. He then fetched his first maximum in the seventh over, when he clobbered Riyan Parag over his head.

The duo upped the ante when Manohar launched into inform Yuzvendra Chahal, hammering him for a four and maximum, a lofted inside-out drive over cover. The two then took on Kuldeep, hammering him for three boundaries in the 14th over, where Hardik also notched up his fifty, with a cut towards backward point fence.

And in the next over, Pandya clobbered two successive maximums off seasoned spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who leaked 16 runs in the over. With Titans reaching 130/3 in 15 overs, the stage was set for a big total.

After Manohar departed, Miller ably supported the skipper.

Earlier, Gujarat Titans lost opener Matthew Wade (12) cheaply, courtesy a direct hit by Rassie Van Der Dussen from cover.

Gujarat slipped to 15/2, as Vijay Shakar (2) also perished cheaply and then a rusty looking Shubman Gill (13) became Parag’s first victim, after he was caught by Shimron Hetymar at the long-on fence.