Gujarat Titans have launched their Indian Premier League franchise with a narrow victory against fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants.
Gujarat Titans have won their first Indian Premer League match, defeating the competition's other new franchise Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in a last-over thriller in Mumbai.
Rahul Tewatia took them over the line with two balls remaining. He hit an unbeaten 40 off 24 balls after Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya and David Miller all perished in the 30s.
Lucknow had recovered from 4-29 to post 6-158 with Mohammad Shami taking 3-25 in his four overs.
With Matthew Wade making 30 off 29 balls Gujarat reached the mid-point in control at 2-72 but only managed 19 runs in the next five overs. Miller and Tewatia then took 39 off the next two overs providing enough momentum for Titans to score a winning 5-161.
There was a game within the game as Krunal Pandya dismissed younger brother Hardik, the first time he had bowled to him in a competitive match.
The teams were acquired for a combined $US1.67bn ($A2.23 bn) in the IPL's first expansion for nine years.
The RPSG Group, an Indian multinational, paid $US930m ($A1.2 bn) for the Lucknow franchise while British Venture capitalists CVC Partners won Ahmedabad-based Titans for $US740m ($A990 m).
Titans went on to invest $US5m on three marquee players, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill, later adding Lockie Ferguson, Miller and Wade, all of whom made their debuts.
Lucknow spent $US1m less on their initial hires, hiring KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinius and Ravi Bishnoi. Quinton de Kock and Jason Holder were among those subsequently recruited with Australian Andrew Tye signing late last week to replace the injured Mark Wood.
International commitments kept Stoinius and Holder off the park. With Rahul caught by Wade first ball, and de Kock also among three wickets claimed in Shami's opening burst, Lucknow needed an unlikely hero.
They found two in newly-capped Deepak Hooda and 22-year-old newcomer Ayush Badoni.
Coming together at four down in the fifth over they put on 87 in 11 overs. When Hooda perished for 55 off 41 balls Badoni took up the cudgels hitting 54 in 41 balls. A late thrash from Krunal Pandya (21no off 13), despite Ferguson bowling at 150 kph, gave Super Giants a score they very nearly defended.
