Following a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya led Gujarat Titans to their maiden IPL 2022 title win at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

While his all-rounder performance, which featured his career-best statistics in the IPL, earned him the Player of the Match title, Hardik also set many captaincy records, putting him among the game’s finest.

Hardik was outstanding in the IPL 2022 final. With all the debate about his bowling credentials and whether he is fit enough to roll his arms in a limited-overs game, Hardik shut down doubters with his best IPL bowling stats of 3 for 17. He also hit a vital 30-ball 34, which included three boundaries and a single six.

Hardik joined Anil Kumble and Rohit Sharma on the list of captains who have won the Player of the Match award in an IPL final after his all-rounder performance. Kumble finished with 4 for 16 for RCB against Deccan Chargers in 2009 final, while Rohit earned the trophy for his 26-ball fifty for Mumbai Indians against CSK in 2015 final.

Hardik also joined Rohit and three other Indian captains in winning an IPL. The other two are MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir. The 28-year-old also became the third captain to win the IPL in his first season as captain. Shane Warne was the first to accomplish the feat for Rajasthan in 2008, while Rohit did it for the Mumbai Indians in 2013.

Hardik also trailed Dhoni in the list of players with the most IPL titles. With five titles, he now shares second place with Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu, with Rohit dominating the leaderboard. Hardik was a member of the Mumbai Indians’ title-winning squads in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, in addition to his 2022 victory.