'I'll never forget': WC-winning Aussie star explains why IPL is different from World Cup

Former Australian T20I captain Matthew Wade has had an outstanding year as he became the only player to win both the 2021 T20 World Cup and the IPL 2022 title. The 34-year-old was a part of Australia's winning team that defeated New Zealand by 8 wickets in the final. And most recently, he was a part of Gujarat Titans, who won the IPL title in their debut season. After winning both titles, Wade explained the difference between the two.

Matthew Wade explains difference between winning T20 WC & IPL

While speaking to SEN Radio, Matthew Wade said, "It's as close to winning a World Cup as you can get. It was a crazy atmosphere and something I'll never forget – 104,000 people, I didn't think I'd ever play in front of that many."

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad registered a world record for the most number of fans for a cricket match as more than 104,800 came to watch the all-important final. The previous record was held by the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the 2015 T20 World Cup final, when just over 93,000 were present.

Wade then went on to explain the difference between the feeling of winning a World Cup and the IPL by adding, "(It was) a different kind of feeling to a World Cup where you've spent a few years trying to build a team to get there but this one has got all the glitz and glamour on it, and they do it differently over in India and they put on a show. (I was) a little bit disappointed with my tournament but as a team, we've played unbelievably well, we've had four or five guys that have really got going."

Matthew Wade has undoubtedly had a frustrating IPL 2022 season as he has managed to score just 157 runs in 10 matches, at a disappointing average of 15.70. His highest score of 35 came in the first qualifier against the Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Despite his personal struggles, Wade went on to become the 16th Australian to win an IPL title with Gujarat Titans. The other Australians to achieve this feat include the likes of Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, and Andrew Symonds, amongst others. Following a two-month-long IPL season, Wade will now join the Australian national team for a three-match T20I series that begins on June 7.