Ahmedabad, Jun 2 (IANS): The recently concluded 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) turned out to be unforgettable for Gujarat Titans, who clinched the trophy in their maiden season of the T20 extravaganza.
A team that wasn't given a chance to be contenders and were labelled weak after the mega auction ran all the way to the trophy after defeating Rajasthan Royals in the title clash on May 29 in front of 1,04,859 fans at Narendra Modi Stadium, co-incidentally their home ground.
Now, their pace spearhead Mohammed Shami spilled the beans on what worked for Gujarat in winning IPL 2022. In a video posted by the franchise on their social media accounts, Shami revealed that different players stepping up to do the job for the side in various matches played a part in their triumphant campaign.
In Gujarat's wins, Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Shubman Gill, skipper Hardik Pandya, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, and Wriddhiman Saha bagged Player of the Match awards, with Gill, Miller and Pandya winning the award twice in the season.
"The best thing which was to see, which was behind Gujarat's success…like, for every team, their senior player or some other players perform. But when we see our team, in every match (for Gujarat Titans), a new face stepped up, a new performance came up, which was enjoyed a lot by the people and results of which you are seeing right now," said Shami.
Shami, who began the season with the first-ball dismissal of Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul in Test match style, bagged 11 wickets in power-play at an economy rate of 6.62, the joint-most scalps taken by a bowler in the tournament alongside Chennai Super Kings' left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary. He credited the great atmosphere off the field for bringing the best out of the side in IPL 2022.
"It has been a great season, especially for all of us. According to me, the bonding we had as a family and unit that we formed right from day one has been managed really well. The (team) management played their role really well and no one felt any pressure; the results of the same were seen in the matches," added Shami.
Shami's next assignment after winning the IPL 2022 trophy with Gujarat will be India's postponed fifth Test against England at Edgbaston from July 1-5. "Once the season is over, the only target for everyone is to whatever we can for the country and it's an amazing feeling," concluded the right-arm pacer.