New Delhi: New boys Gujarat Lions crashed out of the Indian Premier League on Friday after their defeat at the hands of SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2.
Despite dominating the tournament and finishing top of the points table, the IPL debutants failed to seal the finals berth in two attempts.
On both occasions, GL were beaten courtesy of heroics from two of the world's best batsmen. AB de Villiers for RCB and David Warner for SRH, reserved their best when it mattered most to take their respective teams to the final of the ninth edition.
After the heart-breaking loss, skipper Suresh Raina addressed his team's fans with a message on social micro-blogging site Twitter.
thank you so much for motivating usCan't wait to come back stronger in the next season.Thankyou #BCCI #IPL #GL All the best #SRH#RCB
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) May 27, 2016
The left-hander led his troops remarkably well and even contributed significantly with his bat.
Raina's leadership was even appreciated by former India batsman and SRH mentor VVS Laxman.
Congrats @TheGujaratLions on a fantastic 1st season in #IPLImpressive captaincy by @ImRaina Keep it up
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) May 27, 2016
GL signed a two-year deal with the IPL. Hence they will be part of the next edition of the tournament as well.
However once Rajasthan and Chennai return in 2018, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Raina's Lions.
