Gujarat Titans have stunned the pre-season odds in making the playoffs as league toppers. On paper what looked like an imbalanced squad has come good in spectacular style. Guided by a strong collective spirit, the Titans’ have found matchwinners at every turn. While there were doubts about their choice of Hardik Pandya as captain, the maverick all-rounder has been a revelation in his new role. With shades of circa 2008 Rajasthan Royals about them, the Titans will be desperate for a place in the IPL final. Standing before them in the first eliminator, however, is the 2022 version of the same outfit, themselves chasing a first IPL title since their stunning heist in the inaugural season. With the knockout rounds of the IPL almost upon us, we look back on Gujarat’s charge to the top of the league table.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Rajasthan Royals’ journey so far

Kicking off against fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants, the Titans nicked a thriller in the last. Mohammad Shami’s burst of 3/25 kept LSG to 158. In a spot of bother at 78/4, Rahul Tewatia’s unbeaten 40- in only 24 deliveries- would deliver victory with two balls to spare. Against Delhi Capitals in their second outing, Gujarat posted a defendable 171, helmed by opener Gill’s elegant 84 off 46 balls. Lockie Ferguson would run through the Delhi batting order, snaring four wickets for 28 runs. A comfortable 14 run win later, the Titans had two wins in two. It would soon be three! Chasing 190 against Punjab Kings, Shubman Gill came to the fore once again. A masterful 96, pieced together in 56 balls, would guide them to a last-ball win.

Sunrisers Hyderabad would hand them their first loss. Batting first, skipper Hardik Pandya’s 50* took the Titans to 162. Kane Williamson’s 57, accompanied by handy runs from Abhishek Sharma and Nicholas Pooran, took the Sunrisers over the line in 19.1 overs. It proved to be a minor blip as Gujarat picked up four wins on the bounce. The first of those came against Sanju Samson’s Royals. Pandya’s all-round brilliance was key to their triumph. A dashing 87* with the bat, followed by a miserly spell of 1/18 would ensure RR fell short of their score of 192 by 33 runs. Against CSK, the resilience that has marked their campaign was again on display. Chasing 170 and reduced to 87/5, David Miller took charge blazing 94* off 51 balls. The win would come off the penultimate ball, leaving the four-time champions scratching their heads. In the next match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rashid Khan’s 2/22 spun them to victory. Chasing 157 the former champions would fall nine runs short. Against Sunrisers, the Titans would again hold their nerves in a closely-fought contest. Chasing 196, they were rocked by fire-breathing Umran Malik’s 5/25 but Wriddhiman Saha’s 68 would keep them in the hunt. A late charge by Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan would seal a barely believable last-ball win.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Royal Challengers Bangalore’s journey so far

With seven wins out of eight, the Titans could breathe easy. In a rare off-showing, the Titans would crumble against Punjab. Kagiso Rabada was terrific, picking off four wickets for 33, holding Pandya & Co. to a below-par 143. Shikhar Dhawan and Liam Livingstone made light work of the chase, knocking off the runs in 16 overs. Defeat here would be followed by a shock loss to Mumbai Indians. Rooted to the bottom, MI upped their game to stun Gujarat in a tight contest. They would recover as easily as they had fallen, polishing off Lucknow and CSK in back to back games. If Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan combined with bat and ball to drop LSG by the wayside, Wriddhiman Saha’s unbeaten 67 helped to push past Chennai. Unfortunately, they would finish off the league phase with a loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Defending 168, they came up against a determined Virat Kohli. The superstar batter- after a middling IPL- scorched a 73 off 54 balls, taking his side home with eight balls to spare. But with top-spot ensured, defeat would matter little.