Hardik brings the thrill as Titans top table

Hardik Pandya led from the front in all three departments - scoring an unbeaten 87 off 52 balls, picking up a wicket and effecting a run-out - to set up a 37-run win for Gujarat Titans at the DY Patil Stadium. With four wins from five games, Titans are now at the top of the points table in IPL 2022.

After being put in, Pandya and Abhinav Manohar added 86 off 55 balls for the fourth wicket to pull things away from Rajasthan Royals. Pandya and David Miller then ransacked 47 off the last three overs to further widen the gap.

Jos Buttler started the chase in style, but the other Royals batters failed to turn up. Lockie Ferguson was superb, picking up 3 for 23. Rashid Khan was economical, giving away only 24 from his four. And IPL debutant left-arm seamer Yash Dayal finished with 3 for 40 after going for 33 in his first two overs.

The only worry for Titans, at the moment, will be Pandya walking off the field with a thigh issue in the middle of his third over, the 18th of Royals' innings.

A mixed start for Titans
With Trent Boult missing out with a niggle, James Neesham opened the bowling for Royals. Matthew Wade took advantage of that and struck three fours - two off full tosses on either side of the pitch and the third off a short and wide delivery.

Royals, though, had him run out in the very next over when Shubman Gill pushed one towards cover for a quick single but Rassie van der Dussen charged in, swooped low and nailed the direct hit at the striker's end. Wade was well short.

Kuldeep Sen had a returning Vijay Shankar caught behind but Pandya took him on, smashing him for three successive fours in the fifth over.

As soon as the powerplay ended, Sanju Samson tried to sneak in an over from Riyan Parag as well. Pandya welcomed him with a straight six before Gill pulled him to the square leg boundary for four. But Parag had the last laugh when Gill got too greedy and holed out to long-on.

Pandya-Manohar stand revives Titans
At 53 for 3 in the seventh over, Royals seemed to have the upper hand. More so when the next four overs went for only 24. But Pandya and Manohar then stepped on the gas. In the 13th over, Manohar hit Yuzvendra Chahal's consecutive balls for a four and six. In the 14th, Sen ended up conceding three fours, the second of which brought up Pandya's fifty off 33 balls.

R Ashwin too, came in for the punishment. Pandya launched him for back-to-back sixes. Chahal removed Manohar for a 28-ball 43 after conceding another six but now the stage was set for Miller. Sen paid the price of that as Miller hit him for three fours and a six in a 21-run 19th over. Pandya then struck a six and four off Prasidh in the final over to apply the finishing touch.

The Buttler show
Buttler got Royals to a flier, hitting Mohammed Shami for three fours in the first over of the chase. Dayal was next in the line. Buttler hit him for two fours and a six over fine leg, but Dayal responded by having Devdutt Padikkal caught at slip for a first-ball duck.

After a quiet third over, Buttler once again got stuck into Dayal, this time hitting him for three fours and a six. At the end of four overs, Buttler had scored 48 out of the 49 runs Royals had on the board.

Ferguson turns the tide
Ashwin, who was promoted to No. 3, launched Rashid for a straight six. However, Ferguson sent him back - courtesy of an excellent, low catch from Miller at cover - for a run-a-ball 8. Four balls later, Buttler shuffled across and helped Ferguson over fine leg for a six, bringing up his fifty off just 23 balls. But Ferguson struck again, this time with a slower yorker to castle Buttler. That left Royals 65 for 3 after the powerplay.

Another excellent piece of fielding saw Samson's back. The batter punched one towards mid-off for a quick single but couldn't beat Pandya's direct hit. After three boundary-less overs, van der Dussen edged Dayal behind, leaving Royals 90 for 5 in the 11th over.

Shimron Hetmyer tried to keep the chase alive, hitting Shami for a six and a four before holing out to long-on in the same over. In the last seven overs, Royals needed 76 with Parag and Neesham at the crease. But Ferguson returned in the 16th over to dismiss Parag. Two overs later, Pandya had Neesham caught and bowled with a slower one to all but seal the game.