Gujarat win IPL at first attempt

AHMEDABAD, India, May 30 (AFP): Hardik Pandya starred with bat and ball as Gujarat Titans clinched the IPL title in their debut season with a seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in front of a record crowd of 104,859 in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Pandya returned figures of 3-17 to restrict Rajasthan to 130 for nine in the lop-sided final at the world's biggest cricket stadium and Gujarat's home ground.
The captain then made 34 with the bat before Shubman Gill (45) and David Miller (32) steered the team home in 18.1 overs to bring the house down at the 132,000 capacity stadium.
It was a fairytale finish for a team that entered the world's richest domestic cricket tournament alongside Lucknow Super Giants in the expanded 10-team IPL this year.
"It is amazing to win in our first season," assistant coach Gary Kirsten said after the win.
"We came out here pre-season to do a bit of training and it was empty, you could hear an echo here, so it is great to come back and get a full stadium."
Pandya set up victory with his key wickets including Jos Buttler's prized scalp for 39 after Rajasthan, led by Sanju Samson, elected to bat first.
Buttler, who hit an unbeaten 106 in Rajasthan's win in the second qualifier, finished this season as the leading batsman with 863 runs and his wicket raised the roof at a stadium bigger than the Melbourne Cricket Ground.