Heartbreak for Hetmyer, McCoy as Titans top IPL final

AHMEDABAD, India (CMC):

West Indies stars Shimron Hetmyer and Obed McCoy suffered heartbreak when their Rajasthan Royals slumped to a seven-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in yesterday’s final of the Indian Premier League.

Neither player managed a performance of merit as Royals mustered only 130 for nine in the contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Titans chased down the modest target with 11 balls to spare to strike success in their debut season in the cash-rich league.

Shubman Gill top-scored with an unbeaten 45 from 43 deliveries while captain Hardik Pandya struck 34 and South African David Miller, an unbeaten 32, as Titans completed a near-perfect run that saw them top the standings after only four defeats in the preliminary stages.

West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who had taken seven wickets in nine previous appearances this season for Titans, was dropped for the final.

Choosing to bat first, Royals got a solid if not spectacular start. The tournament’s leading scorer, Jos Buttler, hit 39 from 35 balls to anchor a 31-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal (22) before adding a further 29 for the second wicket with captain Sanju Samson (14).

Buttler was fourth out in the 13th over after lashing five fours, part of a slide that saw Royals lose seven wickets for 51 runs.

Hetmyer made only 11 before perishing in the 14th over, caught and bowled off Pandya (3-17) while McCoy was run out for eight in the final over.

In reply, Titans found themselves in early trouble at 23 for two in the fifth over when Wriddhiman Saha (five) and Australian Matthew Wade (eight) fell, but Gill quickly took responsibility for the innings in a knock containing three fours and a six.

First, he put on 63 with Pandya, who struck three fours and a six, and then added 47 in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Miller,who also counted three fours and a six in a 19-ball cameo.

McCoy, who finished the tournament with 11 wickets from seven matches, went wicketless from a 3.1-over spell which cost 26 runs.