Ominous sign for Gujarat Titans as IPL final trend favours Rajasthan Royals

It has been a season to remember for Gujarat Titans, who made their Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2022.

Without much discomfort, the Hardik Pandya-led side finished top of the table and subsequently became the first side in IPL 2022 to make the playoffs. They then defeated Rajasthan Royals, for the second time in the season, to book their place in the final. While the Titans will be hoping to make wrap up the season on a magnificent note with the elusive IPL trophy on debut, IPL final trends have a rather ominous sign to show.

Teams who have finished first in the IPL league stage have reached the final 10 times in a season, but have managed to win the title on only four occasions. Mumbai Indians are the only side since 2011 to top the league and win the title. They did it in 2017, 2019 and in 2020. On the other hand, teams who have finished second on the points table have played the IPL final 11 times and have won the title seven times.

Moreover, teams finishing in the top two have together reached the final eight times in an IPL season with the second-placed side winning five of the finals. Those three wins by a top-placed side were achieved by Mumbai Indians.

However for the Titans, they have gotten the better of Rajasthan twice this season, by a significant margin – by 37 runs last month and by seven wickets in Qualifier 1. And hence the side would be drawing inspiration from those wins and hope to script a triple over the Royals.

“We have an opportunity to do something special. But, to some extent, what we have achieved so far is something special. I would congratulate everybody that’s been involved in this franchise for what we have achieved so far. There is more for us to achieve – not only this year but as a group going forward as well. This is just the next step for us,” Titans’ director of cricket Vikram Solanki said ahead of the big final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.