Rajasthan Royals’ run to the final in 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) seemed a fitting tribute to Australia cricket legend Shane Warne, who passed away aged 52 earlier this year while he was on a holiday in Thailand. This is the first time Rajasthan managed to reach the final in an IPL season since the inaugural season where Warne had guide the franchise to their only title win.
Sanju Samson, the incumbent Rajasthan Royals skipper, was just 14 years old back then. Speaking in the post-match presentation, after Rajasthan’s emphatic seven-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Samson vaguely recalled the first ever final of the IPL tournament.
“I was very young and it was the first IPL season and I remember playing an under-16 game somewhere in Kerala and I remember watching the last game with my friends and remember that last run where Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir hit the run and they were running, it was a very vague memory which I have,” he said.
The 2008 final was held at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Batting first, Suresh Raina’s 30-ball 43 along with captain MS Dhoni’s 17-ball unbeaten 29 helped Chennai Super Kings finish with 163 for five in 20 overs.
Yusuf Pathan was the pick of the bowlers for Rajasthan with his 3 for 22 and he also played a key role in the chase with his 39-ball 56 laced with three boundaries and four maximums. However, a couple of quick dismissals in the fag end of the innings left RR eight to score of the last six balls with Warne and Tanvir on strike.
But the pair held their nerves in the crunch moment to complete the chase in the final ball as Rajasthan Royals, a team that was written off at the very start of the season, managed to stun all and win their maiden IPL title.