In a captivating finale to the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024, the India Champions triumphed over the Pakistan Champions by five wickets, chasing down the target of 157 with five balls to spare.
The thrilling match at Edgbaston saw both teams showcasing their legendary skills and competitive spirit.
India Champions started aggressively, Robin Uthappa scored 10 runs off 8 balls before being caught by Sohail Khan off Aamer Yamin's bowling. Ambati Rayudu anchored the chase with a brilliant 50 runs off 30 balls, including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Suresh Raina contributed 4 runs off 2 balls before falling to Aamer Yamin.
Gurkeerat Singh Mann added 34 runs off 33 balls, while Yusuf Pathan provided a late surge with 30 runs off 16 balls. Yuvraj Singh remained not out on 15 runs off 22 balls, and Irfan Pathan chipped in with 5 runs off 4 balls to guide India Champions to victory.
Aamer Yamin was the standout bowler for Pakistan Champions, taking 2 wickets for 29 runs in his 3 overs.
Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz also took a wicket each, but the bowling unit could not contain the Indian batsmen.
The match was finely poised till the end, with India needing 68 runs off the last 10 overs. Rayudu and Mann's partnership set the platform for the chase, and Yusuf Pathan's explosive hitting sealed the win.
The India Champions finished with 159/5 in 19.1 overs, winning by five wickets.
Pakistan Champions set a competitive total of 156/6 in their allotted 20 overs against the India Champions.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, the Pakistan Champions faced a mix of steady partnerships and quick dismissals but managed to maintain a run rate of 7.80.
Kamran Akmal contributed 24 runs off 19 balls, including four boundaries, before being caught by Rayudu off Pawan Negi's bowling. Sharjeel Khan added 12 runs from 10 balls with two fours, falling to Anureet Singh. Sohaib Maqsood made a quick 21 runs off 12 balls with one four and two sixes, caught by Shukla off Vinay Kumar.
Shoaib Malik top-scored with 41 runs off 36 balls, hitting three sixes, and was caught by Rayudu off Anureet Singh. Younis Khan, the captain, contributed 7 runs from 11 balls before being bowled by Irfan Pathan. Misbahul Haq retired not out after scoring 18 runs off 15 balls with one four.
Aamer Yamin scored 7 runs off 4 balls with one boundary, caught by Yuvraj Singh off Anureet Singh. Sohail Tanvir finished strong with 19 runs off 9 balls, hitting two fours and one six, remaining not out alongside Shahid Afridi, who scored 4 runs off 4 balls.
The bowling attack from the India Champions was led by Anureet Singh, who took 3 wickets for 43 runs in his 4 overs, though his economy rate was high at 10.75.
Pawan Negi was the most economical bowler, taking 1 wicket for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Vinay Kumar and Irfan Pathan each took a wicket, with Kumar conceding 36 runs and Pathan just 12 runs in his 3 overs.
Pakistan Champions playing XI: Kamran Akmal (wk), Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan (c), Misbahul Haq, Aamer Yamin, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan
India Champions playing XI: Robin Uthappa (wk), Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh (c), Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Pawan Negi, Harbhajan Singh, Vinay Kumar, Anureet Singh, Rahul Shukla
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