PHOTO FEATURE
Follow UsIPL 2022 presented many trends but the one that slaps the most is how most of the “analysts” were proven wrong. Gujarat Titans were the flag-bearers of this theory. They didn’t have a wicketkeeper until the last round of the auction. Their batting line-up was largely comprised of reserve batters for the other eight established franchises in the yesteryears. Arguably, they were the least favorites to even qualify for the playoffs but went on to lift the cup.
They were a vibe and so was the 2022 season. We try to capture it in pictures because what else says 1000 words better than them. The winning moment seems quite apt to start with. Shubman Gill and David Miller brought back the memories of India’s World Cup winning moment from 2011 in this stunning photo.
Miller had his arms aloft at the other end like Yuvraj Singh. Gill let out a Kohli-esque roar at MS Dhoni’s position finishing it with a six.
Gujarat’s campaign was based on clutch performances. No one was more clutch than Rahul Tewatia who finished five matches with the bat. On one occasion, he smashed back-to-back sixes to raze down the equation of 12 off two balls, becoming the first in the IPL to do so against a pacer. Yes, flexing those biceps makes perfect sense for such a show.
Miller too engendered his opportunity to pump biceps with three successive sixes in the last over at the Eden Gardens. Thus, he recreated another World Cup moment - Carlos Brathwaite from the 2016 T20 World Cup final. It was a season of redemption for Miller. At the risk of becoming a forgotten IPL star, he has shown his ‘Killer’ version is truly alive. “Remember The Name??”
From winners to the runners-up, Yuzvendra Chahal’s four wickets in the 17th over against Kolkata was one of the biggest game-changing overs of the edition. It also included the only hat-trick of IPL 2022. But what stood out further was his good-humoured celebration. He transformed his memeful image from the 2019 World Cup into a memorable celebration.
The teammates surrounding him make it one of the most chill celebrations you will ever see.
Continuing with the number four, Jos Buttler’s fourth hundred of the season confirmed another iconic legacy for an overseas player. Like we associate Lasith Malinga with Mumbai or AB de Villiers with Bangalore to name a few, Buttler has become synonymous with the pink jersey in IPL. His knock in Qualifier 2 was probably his best ton of the season. His trademark celebration felt extra special.
Eight hundreds were scored this season. Rajat Patidar was the only uncapped and non-opener to get to the three-figure mark. His was also the only ton to come at a strike-rate in excess of 200.
Doesn’t he give you MS Dhoni vibes when batting without a lid? He smashed Ravi Bishnoi for 26 runs off the five balls he faced without wearing a helmet. Later, he didn’t even take off his helmet to celebrate the hundred. Alpha Knock!
There was a lot of love in the air this IPL. Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav continuously backed each other in the purple cap race. They tweeted in joy for each other and talked about how they wanted the other one to get the coveted cap. It was heart-warming to see the endearing KulCha doing well again simultaneously.
Although, Kieron Pollard didn’t seem to enjoy a friendly gesture from his old teammate, Krunal Pandya. Friends or not, consent is important.
From love to agony, Virat Kohli couldn’t stop himself from talking to the heavens after one of his unfortunate dismissals. That was actually all of us who couldn’t believe his plight. It was a tough season for Kohli and probably tougher for the fans to watch. We are not sure what Siddarth Kaul is up to in the backdrop.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fawad Alam, Steve Smith. We have seen enough whacky batting stances in cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin has added to the list in his insatiable will to experiment.
In his comeback match, Evin Lewis didn’t get to bat despite being listed at number three. He still left a big impact in the game, taking a game-changing one-handed catch in the final over that also won him the catch of the season award.
Last but not the least, Ashish Nehra became the first Indian head coach to win the IPL trophy. How did he do it? Not with a laptop or heavy data crunching. All it took him was coconut water, wearing his cap backward, a piece of paper and team meetings where the motto was to eat and sleep well.
Credits: Gujarat_Titans/TwitterThe above picture stands for his chill attitude and is trending on social media.
