"See you in the playoffs" - Rahul Tewatia after GT become first team to make it into the playoffs of IPL 2022

All-rounder Rahul Tewatia expressed his delight after the Gujarat Titans (GT) became the first team to qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs. The Hardik Pandya-led side secured their qualification in style following a 62-run win over the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

The new franchise successfully defended their target of 145 runs at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Rashid Khan (4/24) and debutant R Sai Kishore (2/7) starred with the ball en route to a memorable victory to complete the double over their fellow new entrants.

The franchise released a video showcasing the emotions and the reaction upon qualifying for the IPL playoffs. The clip begins with Rahul Tewatia saying:

"Really happy that we qualified, this is our first season and we are the first team to qualify for the playoffs. See you in the playoffs."

Members of the winning squad showcased their individual awards following the win and shared a meal before departing the arena.

Mohammad Shami and Rashid Khan were spotted taking pictures with their respective awards. Meanwhile, the likes of Wriddhiman Saha and Yash Dayal were having a discussion over dinner.

Head coach Ashish Nehra was seen leaving the premises alongside Varun Aaron and Vijay Shankar.

Click here to view the purple cap in IPL 2022.

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"Really, really proud of the boys" - Hardik Pandya after GT secured their spot in the playoffs

GT avoided a third successive loss with a dominant display over the KL Rahul-led LSG side. They now have a chance to seal a spot in the top two of the IPL 2022 points table, and currently hold a two-point lead with two matches to go.

Praising his side's efforts enroute to securing the win and a spot in the playoffs, GT captain Hardik Pandya said during the post-match presentation:

"To be honest, really really proud of the boys. When we started this journey, we knew we'd be a good side but getting qualification before the 14 games is a great feeling."

The all-rounder added:

"In the last game, we thought the game was over before it was over. We were ahead of the game and didn't finish it off. That's a learning for us. So even today, when they were eight down, we knew we had to be ruthless. We can relax post game."

The new franchise will hope to seal their spot for Qualifier 1 with a win in one of their next two matches. They will take on the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to close out their campaign in the league stage.