Champions at the First Attempt: How Gujarat Titans Won IPL 2022
A new team, a new captain and a final in front of more than 100,000 people. The story of the only side to win the IPL in its first season since 2008.
When the IPL grew from eight teams to ten in 2022, most people expected the two new franchises to need a few seasons to settle. Lucknow Super Giants made the playoffs straight away. Gujarat Titans went one better. They topped the league, won the final in their own stadium and became the first team since the very first season in 2008 to win the IPL at the first attempt.
Building a team from nothing
The Ahmedabad franchise was bought by the investment firm CVC Capital Partners. Before the 2022 mega auction, each new team was allowed to sign three players. Gujarat picked Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill, and made Hardik captain even though he had never led a senior side in a major tournament.
Ashish Nehra, the former India left-arm seamer, became head coach, with Gary Kirsten as batting coach and mentor. At the auction they added a strong bowling attack around Rashid, with Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson, and batters who could finish games, like David Miller and Rahul Tewatia.
A season of close finishes
Gujarat's first match was against the other new team. They beat Lucknow by five wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, and quickly got a reputation for winning from difficult positions.
The best example came against Punjab Kings at the Brabourne Stadium in April. Gujarat needed 12 runs from the last two balls. Tewatia hit both of them for six. Miller and Tewatia went on to win several more games in the final overs, and Gujarat finished top of the table with 10 wins from 14 matches.
Miller in Kolkata
Finishing first meant Gujarat met second-placed Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1 at Eden Gardens, with a place in the final for the winner. Jos Buttler made 89 and Rajasthan set 189. Gujarat needed 16 from the last over, bowled by Prasidh Krishna. Miller hit the first three balls for six, and Gujarat were in the final with three balls to spare.
The final
The two teams met again in the final on 29 May 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's home ground. Rajasthan chose to bat, and Hardik produced the best spell of his season: 3 for 17 in four overs, including the wickets of Sanju Samson and Buttler. Rajasthan finished on 130 for 9.
The chase was calm rather than spectacular. Hardik made 34, Gill finished on 45 not out and Miller added 32 not out, and Gill hit a six to win the match with more than an over left. Gujarat reached 133 for 3 and won by seven wickets.
The crowd was officially counted at 104,859, which Guinness World Records recognised as the largest attendance ever at a T20 match.
What happened next
Gujarat reached the final again in 2023, when Gill won the Orange Cap with 890 runs, but lost to Chennai Super Kings off the last ball in a rain-affected match. Hardik then moved back to Mumbai Indians before the 2024 season, and Gill took over as captain. Two finals in their first two seasons is still one of the best starts any IPL team has made.
Stats in this story are correct to the end of the 2025 IPL season.
