After two months of jaw-dropping action, the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has come down to its concluding stage – the final. 10 teams had begun the journey back on March 26, and now the winner of the fifteenth season will now be decided between two sides – Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Speaking about both the teams, the Hardik Pandya-led Titans had a dominant journey in their maiden campaign. They won most of the matches to finish at the top of the points table and then won Qualifier 1 to book a place in the summit clash.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, have a dream run as they managed to reach their first final in 14 seasons. The last time RR had reached the final was in 2008, when under the leadership of late Shane Warne, the Royals had won the prestigious title.
Before the mouth-watering clash begins at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, former India cricketer Suresh Raina has predicted who has the better chance between the two teams to lift the title.
Raina, the former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player, backed Gujarat, stating they have a slight edge over Rajasthan due to the kind of rhthym they are in and have enjoyed a good rest of four-five days.
“I think Gujarat Titans will have a slight edge over Rajasthan Royals in the finals because they’ve had a good rest of four-five days and also due to the tempo they’ve been in this season,” said Raina on Cricket Live Show on Star Sports.
However, Raina also recjoned that the Royals shouldn’t be taken lightly as they are also in rich form. The 35-year-old observed if Jos Buttler manages to shine with the bat once again, then it will be a huge bonus for the 2008 IPL winners.
“I believe RR cannot be taken lightly because they are looking in sublime form and if Jos Buttler fires for one last time in this season, then it will be a huge bonus for the team. So, it will be an epic clash. Also, the wicket has been brilliant here in Ahmedabad and we’ve seen a lot of strokes from the batters,” added Raina.
